Science as ‘Personal Knowledge’ in the Epistemology of Michael Polanyi

Abstract

Michael Polanyi (1891-1976), chemist and epistemologist of Hungarian origin, later naturalized English, placed the trans-objective character of knowledge at the center of his reflection. Stopping at the myth of the objectivity of science hides the personal element which is instead decisive not only for the choice of the best models, but also for the meaning that the scientist gives to his hypotheses and discoveries. Precisely, scientific knowledge must e can only be ‘personal’: it is an activity in which the participation and contribution of the whole person is fundamental to reach any discovery or to formulate theories. In every act of knowledge there is a unique and passionate contribution from the person who knows what is known, and this component is not an imperfection but a vital aspect of knowledge. This ‘tacit’ dimension of personal knowledge plays an irreplaceable role, even if most of the time it is unaware and almost inexpressible, according to a Gestalt vision that Polanyi considers fundamental, and which reflects, in a certain sense, the ontological structure of reality, organized according to ‘ascending levels of existence’, which at the same time corresponds to a hierarchy of intelligibility.