Below I will end the year and leave you dear reader with one important question. While you and I are surely on the train of the digital re-cognizing of life and the world - to use the word 'revolution' to describe what is happening is to not clearly see the possibility cresting over the horizon - many, many others are most definately not. But, unlike the past two major ages (i.e. the colonial and industrial ages) those most at risk to be "left behind" reside in the "advanced nations" and not those parts of the world that are fiscally disadvantaged (imho). So, is this really a problem? Or, simply Karma? Anyways, happy new years everybody!
The problem of valuing adaptive qualities/powers of an individual higher than creative powers.
The increase in the degree of information threatens the loss of identity of people today (contrary to the belief that it is strengthening social reason). Those who feel independent and helpless in the face of technically mediated forms are more likely to become incapable of establishing an identity.
Adaptive power refers to the ability to become a specialist or expert and thus at the same time a functionary. Functionaries by their very nature must be completely concentrated upon the administration of their function (e.g. scientific, technical, economic, monetary processes, administration and politics). Smooth funtioning of the apparatus is the ultimate aim of inserting an expert.
The problem: As ever fewer persons are making the important decisions and ever more are manning the apparatus, modern society is thus oppressed by imminent structural pressures. This in turn leads to the degeneration of practice into technique and - through no fault of the experts themselves - to a decline into social irrationality.
It would be propitious at this juncture to emphasize the gravity of this last sentence - and to ultimately show that every word was thoughtfully chosen - by providing the meaning of 'practice' as defined by Heraclitus and re-cognized in the modern word by Gadamer: Practice is carrying and conducting oneself in solidarity; solidarity of course being the basis and foundation of social reason.
