Nature of Knowledge and Necessity of Interdisciplinary Studies with Emphasis on Postmodern Ideas

This study aims to review the nature of knowledge and analyze necessity of interdisciplinary studies from the viewpoint of Derrida, who represents postmodern philosophy, to compare credibility of his thoughts with some prominent philosophers of science. Derrida maintained that such fields as philosophy, mathematics and logics have been introduced in the West as rational fields while literature, poetry, and arts have been considered irrational and marginalized. He concludes that various fields of knowledge such as philosophy, literature and even modern sciences are manifestations of different linguistic systems and since language is metaphorical, interpretational, historical, and changeable, different fields of knowledge do not reflect the realities, but are metaphorical. Therefore, none of them is superior to others, but they are intermingled and there is no sharp line among them. A review of ideas of such philosophers as Cohen, la Catouche, and Feierabend would confirm postmodern claims of Derrida. In view of research results; designing knowledge on the basis of horizontal, rather than vertical, relations; interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary design; and designing knowledge based on subjects rather than courses has been proposed to specialists and policymakers.