Post-Knowledge: The Extinction of Knowledge in our Techno-Scientific Culture

• Authors: Richmond Sheldon
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The monopolization of our techno-scientific culture by digital information technolo- gy, the Technopoly has unintentionally resulted in the extinction of knowledge or post- knowledge, by reducing knowledge to systems of symbols—formalized algorithmic hierarchies of symbol-systems without external reference; a totalistic virtuality, or real virtuality. The extinction of knowledge or post-knowledge has resulted in two mutually reinforcing situations. One situation is the rise of a new elite of technology experts. The other situation is the dummification of people. These two mutually reinforcing situations further result in an illegitimate role reversal between people and their machines. The machines become treated as smart; people become treated as dummies. The role reversal of machines and people reinforces the monopoly of digital technology over everything. The monopoly of digital techno-scientific culture, the Technopoly, becomes accepted without question and without criticism. However, there is a way to retrieve knowledge, and that way is through restoring the (Ionian) tradition of critical discussion within all our institutions. Critical discussion can be restored by increasing democratic participa- tion in our techno-scientific culture, which amounts to implementing a Socratic social architecture.

Keywords

EN

Techno-scientific culture; Technopoly; knowledge; information; data; virtuality; cybernetics; automata; analogue; digital systems

• Publisher: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk; Fundacja Filozofia Na Rzecz Dialogu
• Journal: Dialogue and Universalism
• Year: 2019
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 123-145

Contributors

author

Richmond Sheldon

• independent scholar