Given the (often tedious) discussion (not dialogue) often
found in the very conventional world of academia and other such failing
institutions (like the European Commission and its DG CONNECT), and the endless
(mostly empty and sometimes almost fraudulent) talk about STEM to STEAM; here
are some standard and (not so standard) alternative definitions of three
overused words which just illustrate why the above are failing institutions,
doing what all failing institutions do – retreating into the past, that place
of security where everything seems fine:
Expert: a person
who is very knowledgeable about or skilful in a particular area.
Alternative
Expert: A person
who knows a lot about very little.
Polymath: A
person of wide knowledge or learning.
Alternative
Polymath: A
person who knows very little about a lot.
Liberal Arts: arts
subjects such as literature and history, as distinct from science and
technology.
Alternative
Liberal Arts:
subjects still defined according to an archaic division of knowledge.
Liberal arts subjects are those that an educated person
should know in order to participate in the life of the community. Hence in the
real world the liberal arts include all the subjects that the archaic division
of knowledge excludes …
For the most able of people, it takes about two years of
full time effort to cross a disciplinary boundary such as they are able to
operate in that discipline. Few people, polymath or otherwise, have time for
such, and no degree course can provide sufficient knowledge in the limited time
available. Yet increasingly it seems that what is needed, are for people to
cross disciplinary boundaries and to operate in those second (or third)
disciplines!
Is the fad for Liberal Arts (standard definition) just
another fruitless debate about liberal arts education versus specialist
education? A repeat of debates already held in the past. Debates that most (including polymaths - standard definition) seem not to know took place. Likewise for the
so called T-shaped person – this concept dates back to the 1970s at
least, possibly earlier. The polymaths seem to have missed that point too! All
this somewhat undermines the argument for – liberal arts education and
polymaths (standard definitions)!
So Prometheus sits on his rock, wearing his invisible and
silent chains that keep him bound there, and everyday he reinvents himself in
exactly the same form he was yesterday, and the day before, and the day before
that …
The Vainglorious
Enlightened Ones are, indeed, in serious trouble. May you live in
interesting times! You are living in interesting times …
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