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Map of All Known Knowledge

All human knowledge

I am a high school student, and I have been thinking about the way knowledge is structured. In schools and universities, we study subjects such as mathematics, physics, biology, and many others. This has led me to wonder: exactly how many subjects exist in total? It is generally understood that all the knowledge humanity currently possesses is finite and organized into distinct areas. I am interested in knowing whether there exists a comprehensive list, table, map, or conceptual framework that captures the entire body of known human knowledge without excluding anything. In other words, I am seeking a complete and exhaustive classification of all subjects, such that no area of knowledge is left unaccounted for. I wish to ensure that I am not unaware of any subject.

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Librarians have systems that can classify every published book. And scientific publishers can classify every paper. Those don't add up to a complete classification of all human knowledge, but it's a substantial fraction of it.

If you skim the high-level book categories at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dewey_Decimal_classes, you may conclude this is is beyond a lifetime's work.

Mmhmm. A talented cataloger in a research library understands where the 'fuzz' in these systems is - where the margins intersect - and they have a process for helping systematize those classifications in a way that they can socialize with other librarians across the world. (If nobody has ever cataloged a particular book before... your record is probably going into OCLC WorldCat and other people will borrow the output of your thinking process later... making things more and more definitive.)

Okay I got it . But do we have any best possible classification system or map . That is most complete. A map which has tried to capture totality of all known human knowledge without leaving anything significant.

I want this so I am not unaware of any field of knowledge. Atleast any significant feild of knowledge

Practically Best possible .

Thank you sir for your response

There is no limit at all for the expanses of human knowledge. Including that every single individual out of all the billions of people on Earth has some knowledge that nobody else has.

> It is generally understood that all the knowledge humanity currently possesses is finite and organized into distinct areas.

No, this is not generally understood, because it is not true.

You will go insane if you try to classify or map all human knowledge.

Okay . As far I have learned is that everything all humanity knows at any specific point of time is finite and growing rapidly.

Collective human knowledge is finite at any moment and growing and divided into many areas for convenience . We have disciplines such as physics, maths etc.

Yes it is enormous and it seems to Practically extremely difficult to make such a map.

I understood your point

Thank you sir for your response.

I once read that if you tried to read every Wikipedia article for 12 hours a day, it would take you about 42 years to finish—assuming no new content gets added along the way.

- https://www.rxjourney.net/the-great-ocean-of-truth

Okay I got it . But do we have any best possible classification system or map . That is most complete. A map which has tried to capture totality of all known knowledge without leaving anything significant. I want this so I am not unaware of any field of knowledge. Atleast any significant feild of knowledge

Practically Best possible .

Thank you sir for your response

MIT OpenCourseWare has a series of lectures on AI by Marvin Minsky and in one lecture he describes two projects in need of each other but were drifting apart that aimed to keep a beat on knowledge.

You may want to trace the history of librarianship.

Thank your for your response sir.

Practically Best possible .

As you suggest I read about librarianship

And I got some maps

But a question comes in mind that which map should I trust For my needs . Which map has that quality.

What about private knowledge such as my account password? I think you need to first rigorously define what you mean by "knowledge" and "subject".

There is no map. Because knowledge and the relations between concepts are not static. Its a dynamical ever growing system.

This is a deep question. Many a great mind in history have thought about how to organize all of the world's knowledge systematically.

> Indeed, the purpose of an encyclopedia is to collect knowledge disseminated around the globe; to set forth its general system to the men with whom we live, and transmit it to those who will come after us.. -- Denis Diderot

A key word is "ontology", a system or architecture of categories to group entities which represent objects, events, relationships between concepts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology_(information_science)

The Dewey Decimal Classes mentioned in another comment is a good start. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dewey_Decimal_classes

Also..

Basic Register of Thesauri, Ontologies & Classifications - https://bartoc.org/about

Encyclopedia of Knowledge Organization - https://www.isko.org/cyclo/kos

Universal Decimal Classification - https://udcc.org/index.php/site/page?view=subject_coverage

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Honestly, none of the lists are satisfyingly comprehensive. Like a fractal, you can zoom into any one subject, and it branches into more and more specific categories. Wikipedia has various lists and outlines that come closer to what you describe.

Outline of academic disciplines - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_academic_discipline...

> summary of the world's knowledge, in the form of an outline

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Outlines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_knowledge#Knowledge...

Thank you for your response sir.

Okay I got it . But which is best possible classification system or map . That is most complete. A map which has tried to capture totality of all known knowledge without leaving anything significant. I want this so I am not unaware if any field of knowledge. Atleast any significant feild of knowledge

Practically Best possible .

As you suggest I read all links

But a question comes in mind that which map should I trust For my needs . Which map has that quality.

Yes, I understand, like you I have the same question and desire for a map of all knowledge. It relates to library science, how to organize all books on all subjects; and in general, the aim of academia, an organized system to learn, research, and teach all subjects. On the dark side, it relates to Seeing Like a State, the quest for dominion over the entire world and everything in it. There is the concept of legibility, the limits of what you can know (see/measure/quantify/understand) and the vast unknown beyond it. So we must accept that the map can never be complete. But we can try!

You'll have to create your own comprehensive outline and classification system. I'd start with an encyclopedic overview.

> Below is a summary of the world's knowledge, in the form of an outline. Each subject in turn links to an outline that summarizes that subject.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Outlines

  Culture and the arts
  Geography and places
  Health and fitness
  History and events
  Human activities
  Mathematics and logic
  Natural and physical sciences
  People and self
  Philosophy and thinking
  Religion and belief systems
  Society and social sciences
  Technology and applied sciences

Each of these expanded:

  Culture and Humanities  – Aesthetics • Anthropology • Archaeology • Celebrities • Classics • Communication studies • Critical theory • Cultural heritage • Ethics • Folklore • Language • Linguistics • Movements • Mythology • Philosophy • Popular culture • Religion and spirituality • Tourism • Traditions

  The arts  – Art galleries • Art schools • Museums 
    Literature  – Poetry • Fiction (Novel • Short story • Fairy tale) • Screenwriting
    Performing arts – Circus • Comedy • Dance • Film • Opera • Theatre
    Visual arts – Animation • Architecture • Architecture history • Comics • Design • Digital art • Drawing • Fashion • Fashion design • Graphic design • Interior design • Landscape architecture • New media art • Painting • Photography • Sculpture • Textile arts

  Geography – Atlas • City • Climate • Demographics • Earth • Exploration • Geographic information system • History of geography • Map • Park • Place • Population density • Region • Spatial analysis • Subregion • Surveying 

  History by region, time period, subject

  Human activity – Agriculture • Arts • Business • Child care • Communication • Crime • Educating (Learning, Teaching) • Entertainment • Exercise • Exploration (Underwater exploration, Space exploration) • Globalization • Hobbies • Industrialisation • Innovation • Law enforcement • Learning • Leisure activities • Management • Massage • Medicine • Navigation • Philosophy • Politics (Governance) • Publishing • Recreation • Religion • Reproduction • Resource consumption • Science • Sex • Shopping • Spending • Sport • Thinking • Transporting • Traveling • Underwater diving • Warfare

  Formal sciences – Information theory • Logic • Statistics • Theoretical computer science

  Mathematics – Algebra • Applied mathematics • Arithmetic • Calculus • Equations • Geometry • Mathematical analysis • Mathematics education • Mathematical practice • Measurement • Numbers • Philosophy of mathematics • Probability • Proofs • Theorems  • Topology • Trigonometry

  Natural science – Physics • Astronomy • Biology • Chemistry • Earth science • Materials science • Computer science

  Philosophy – Aesthetics • Ethics • Epistemology • Logic • Metaphysics

  Social sciences – Accounting • Anthropology • Archaeology • Behavioural science • Cognitive science • Communication studies • Criminology • Critical theory • Cultural studies • Demography • Development studies • Economics • Education • Geography • History • International relations • Law • Linguistics • Management • Political science • Psychology • Public administration • Social policy • Social work • Sociology 

  Technology and applied sciences – Aerospace • Agriculture, Agricultural science & Agronomy • Architecture • Automation • Automobile • Big science • Biotechnology • Cartography • Communication • Construction • Design • Electronics • Energy development • Energy storage • Engineering (Chemical engineering, Civil engineering, Electrical engineering, Mechanical engineering) • Ergonomics • Firefighting • Food science • Forensics • Forestry • Free software • Health sciences • Health Informatics • Industry • Information science (Library and information science) • Internet • Machines • Management • Manufacturing • Mass communication • Mass production • Medicine • Military science • Military technology and equipment • Mining • Nanotechnology • Nuclear technology • Packaging and labeling • Processes • Robotics • Space exploration • Technology forecasting • Telecommunications • Tools • Weapons

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And all academic subjects.

> Academic disciplines are conventionally divided into the humanities (including philosophy, languages, art and cultural studies), the natural sciences (such as physics, chemistry, and biology); the formal sciences like mathematics and computer science; and the social sciences

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_academic_discipline...

  Humanities
    Performing arts
    Visual arts
    History
    Languages and literature
    Law
    Philosophy
    Religious studies
    Divinity
    Theology
    Religion

  Social science
    Anthropology
        Archaeology
    Business
    Economics
    Futurology
    Geography
    Linguistics
    Political science
    Psychology
    Sociology
    Interdisciplinary studies
        Area studies
        Ethnic and cultural studies
        Organizational studies

  Natural science
    Physical Science
        Space sciences
            Astronomy
        Physics
        Chemistry
        Earth science
    Life science
        Biology

  Formal science
    Computer science
    Logic
    Mathematics
        Pure mathematics
        Applied mathematics
            Statistics

  Applied science
    Agriculture
    Architecture and design
    Education
    Engineering and technology
      Chemical engineering
      Civil engineering
      Educational technology
      Electrical engineering
      Materials science
      Mechanical engineering
      Systems science
    Environmental studies and forestry
    Family and consumer science
    Human physical performance and recreation
    Journalism, media studies and communication
    Library and museum studies
    Medicine and health
    Military sciences
    Public administration
    Public policy
    Social work
    Transportation

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Getting closer, but as you can see, there are significant holes. Some of that can be improved by filling in the details. But it becomes clear that there is a cultural bias in these outlines and lists, of what subjects are worthy of study in academia, or what to include in an encyclopedia. Beyond that, for example, there is oral or even non-verbal knowledge and understanding passed from one generation to the next, or from teacher to student, in world cultures large and small, such as musical or religious/mystical traditions.

What's also lacking is a classification system, like the Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress system. Again, you'll have to come up with your own organization, because I'm sure you'll find that none of the existing systems are satisfactory. Here's a good start.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Dewey_and_Librar...

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A related question is how to map and classify all digital objects.

DOI - Digital Object Identifier - https://www.doi.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Ontology_Language

Also, one can think about semantic networks and knowledge graphs. The systems of organization described so far assume that everything can be represented in a hierarchical list, a limited form of tree structure. However, in the human brain and in the real world, relationships between concepts and things form graph structures.

What kind of classification system would be able to better represent graphs rather than lists of lists?

I wish you good luck in your quest. One of my favorite intellectuals is Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, considered a "polymath" or "Renaissance man", who seeked to systematically organize all of human knowledge. See, for example: Alphabet of human thought; Characteristica universalis; and Calculus ratiocinator. His explorations and concepts were very influential in the invention of computers.

Start with the library of congress classification system. It'll get you 90 percent of the way there for 10% of the effort.

(Classification systems are very much an information science topic... and they're pretty damn important. Along those same lines - you'll want to think carefully and critically about what is seen as canonical knowledge, and what's "in" those fields, versus what is perceived as "utter crackpot bullshit" that nobody takes seriously. The fields you've mentioned ALL have a significant amount of bleed at the edges - where does math become mathematical physics and then 'really physics' ... it's just not that easy.)

Fanboy comment: just google Eugene Garfield. Have fun!

Thank your for your response sir.

Practically Best possible .

As you suggest I read the scheme of library of congress

And there any some more schemes for all human knowledge.

But a question comes in mind that which map should I trust For my needs . Which map has that quality.

1 point by NishanStepak 21 minutes ago | next | edit | delete [–]

This goes well past libraries and into new concepts. Vannevar Bush wrote an article you might find interesting, As We May Think, it is the precursor in many ways to the internet. https://web.mit.edu/sts.035/www/PDFs/think.pdf

  A book you might also want to read is The World Brain by H.G. Wells which is about a world encyclopedia.  https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1303731h.html

Some people say that this book helped inspire Wikipedia.

However, classification systems are limited. There are currently over 13 zettabytes on the internet right now. This is more than any library can hold. We have entered the zettabyte era. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zettabyte_Era

  I believe it would take something similar to a multi zettabyte vector database attached to a knowledge graph of all the content on the internet and available content in universities and libraries to build a universal taxonomy. Artificial intelligence with human oversite would be used to create a self organizing map based on existing taxonomies like the Universal Decimal Classification or Library of Congress.  It would fill in the holes of the existing system.

The closest place where I thnk they could have done this already is the DARPA Memex project named after Vannevar Bush's idea. But it is not public. https://www.darpa.mil/research/programs/memex

Thanks

I went on the site But could not find anything much useful But thanks

Thank your sir for your response .

Yes it's sad but true that may be perfect map does not exits

I think I will have to give up this idea of getting a perfect map

May be in future , it will become possible.

It is very much a topic of the future. There are several science fiction novels written around it. Isaac Asimov has the Encyclopedia Galactica in his Foundation series. David Brin also has the Encyclopedia Galactica in his uplift trilogy. Gordon R. Dickson wrote a book called The Final Encyclopedia. It has been a dream for a long time. Some people consider The Library of Alexandria the first attempt at this.

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