Comparing Structures of Knowledge

Every human being has different structures of knowledge that brings us to the

world of concepts that make us relate to the other concepts and test our knowledge in

that certain domain. Some based their knowledge in their own ideas or intellect, some

are on their beliefs and some are on correlation of their knowledge to others. Everybody

thinks. Deeper thinking leads to deeper living. Sometimes, we need to think on a things

were we can reflect on. On that things were it can really help us to start at starting point.

Just like the different structures of knowledge of Ali Behdad, Walter Mignolo, Andrew

Cole, Arturo Escobar about Comparative work specifically comparative literature.

It was stated that, “the field of Comparative Literature has now come to encompass an

exponentially wider breadth than was institutionally legible only a few decades ago. This

radical expansion has opened up the possibilities of comparison dramatically” this

means due to the expansion that has made, it opened up the door of resembling

anything close in content or comparative work that varied on text or author in relation to

one another and usually varied according to the contextual emphasis of the text at hand

where variation is found along the lines of a certain perspective, this perspective

actually depends to the comparatist.

Like Ali Behdad, he believes that “literature should be secondary; we are [first]

comparatists” this actually signifies that before doing such comparative literature he

suggestes that the basic practice that a person can do of our discipline is that we should

challenge our potential in “engaging and realizing ideas through comparative frame of

mind” but he clearly note that he’s not saying literature should never stand as the
primary object of study but his aiming for us to challenge ourselves first as comparatists

as well as our minds.

Moving on to Walter Mignolo, he’s works demonstrates that the specificities of an

epistemological architecture, or structure of knowledge, dramatically shape human

experience and the beliefs and ideologies that arise from such experience while Andrew

Cole and Arturo Escobar works demonstrates broad temporal scope and geographic

scope, respectively.

In structures, epistemology matters which refers to limits and validity and that working

comparatively between such structures can allow us see the representation of the

human experience in a brightest way.

“I have suggested some examples of how this work is already being performed, but it

seems that the moment is ideal for Comparative Literature to expand further in this

direction, and it will only be that much more productive and interesting to do so, given

the expansion it has already undergone in recent decades.” – Michael Swacha

 Comparing Structures of Knowledge

ABM12 – N106

21ST CENTURY LITERATURE

LEADER: Alleah Jhyn Abid

MEMBERS:

Aliz Kristi Espinel

Fatima Guiano

Fahad Matabilas