Evaluating the Reliability of Interpretation in the Production of Knowledge within History and the Arts

This essay explores the extent to which interpretation serves as a reliable tool for producing knowledge, focusing on the Areas of Knowledge of history and the arts.

Through a comparative analysis of historical methodology and artistic expression, the author examines the tension between subjective bias and the necessity of meaning-making. Using case studies like the Tan'gun Shinhwa and Frida Kahlo, the argument posits that reliability in history stems from systematic, collaborative analysis, whereas in the arts, it depends on the alignment of interpretation with artistic intention—whether deliberate or intuitive.

The essay provides a nuanced evaluation of how subjectivity can both hinder and enrich knowledge production across different contexts.