Post Modernity and Creation of Knowledge

Abstract: This paper aims at reflecting on the role that we are expected to play as a unit of research in education. Starting from the initial definition of knowledge and the confrontation of rationalist and empiricist positions on how to access to it, the paper seeks to work on the understanding of knowledge originated from the scientific revolution of the sixteenth century, in order to merge in the current context of postmodern paradigm shift and bring out what we are expected to do with. What is the main purpose of research? Is it used to draw the same conclusions previously found out? Is it used for the reproduction, confirmation and dissemination of knowledge already created? Or for the formation of a knowledge that brings something new, that really contributes to the improvement of education? Key words: knowledge, paradigm of complexity, post modernity 1. Knowledge as A Justified True Belief The issues related to the nature of knowledge (what is it?) and the ways to access to knowledge (how do we get to it?) are as old as the philosophy itself, leading us naturally to the field of the epistemology. However, we can agree that these issues were first formally addressed by Plato, in one of his Dialogues, the Theaetetus (Bostock, 1991; Waterfield, 1987). Who was Theaetetus? He was a brilliant young man, student of the famous mathematician Theodorus of Cyrene. Plato put Theaetetus dialoguing with Socrates and Theodorus. Faced wit