Q&A: The Value of Knowledge
The Value of Knowledge
Question
Good evening.
Is there value in knowing the truth when it does not affect actions? For example, I understand that the value of a moral act depends on my knowing that I am doing something moral, but my question is whether knowledge of the truth by itself has any value.
Is there value in knowing Torah when the Talmudic study does not lead to action? Perhaps there is value in the study itself, since it is a commandment (and even then the question returns: what is defined as study—knowledge itself, or only if it will lead to action…); but does knowledge itself have value?
Answer
In my view, definitely yes. Knowledge, striving for knowledge, and learning are values, entirely apart from their practical and applied value. Therefore, the value of science, in my view, is not its contribution to practice but understanding itself.
This is not the place to comment on the mistakes in your example from morality.