Difference Between Awareness and Knowledge

Key Difference – Awareness vs Knowledge
 

Awareness and knowledge are two words that can be used interchangeably in certain contexts. However, there is a distinct difference between awareness and knowledge. Awareness is perceiving, knowing, feeling, or being conscious of events, objects, thoughts, emotions, or sensory patterns. Knowledge is facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education. The key difference between awareness and knowledge is that knowledge is associated with deep understanding and familiarity with a subject whereas awareness does not imply a deep understanding.

What Does Awareness Mean?

Awareness is the state or condition of having a knowledge of consciousness. The Oxford dictionary defines awareness as “knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.” Merriam-Webster defines awareness as knowing, feeling, experiencing, or noticing a situation, condition, problem, sound, sensation, or emotion. According to these definitions, awareness can be focused on an internal state such as a feeling or emotion, or on external events by way of sensory perception.

Awareness can also refer to a common knowledge or understanding about a social, scientific, or political issue. For example, programs such as autism awareness and breast cancer awareness aim to improve the general knowledge of people about these conditions. However, awareness is not the same as knowledge. Awareness merely refers to an understanding of general information facts.

We need to raise public awareness of the issue.

The therapist helped her to develop self-awareness.

I hope the lawmakers have some awareness about this issue.

Rural people’s awareness of AIDs is very low.

What Does Knowledge Mean?

Knowledge refers to familiarity and understanding of someone or something such as information, facts, skills, which are acquired through experience or education. Knowledge can refer to both practical and theoretical understanding of a subject. For example, consider the knowledge of a medical doctor. He has theoretical knowledge about physiology and various diseases. This knowledge is mainly acquired through education. At the same time, a doctor also has to have very practical skills such as examining patients, making diagnoses and making surgical interventions. This knowledge can only be acquired by practical experience.

Knowledge acquisition is a complex process which involves perception, communication, and reasoning. It is widely accepted that the human mind is capable of two types of knowledge: rational knowledge and intuitive knowledge.

The philosopher Plato has defined knowledge as justified true belief though this definition is found to be problematic by many analytical philosophers.

What is the difference between Awareness and Knowledge?

Definition:

Awareness is perceiving, knowing, feeling, or being conscious of events, objects, thoughts, emotions, or sensory patterns.

Knowledge is facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.

Depth of Understanding:

Awareness does not refer to a deep understanding.

Knowledge refers to in-depth understanding or familiarity.

Internal vs External:

Awareness can refer to internal states such as feelings and emotions of oneself.

Knowledge usually refers to external events or information.

 Image Courtesy: 

“Logo waad” By P.newhart – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia

“Knowledge-sharing” By Ansonlobo – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia