Knowledge Needed by Modern Man

Abstract

In the industrial era the ways of acquiring knowledge were adopted to the existent circumstances. By educating and acquiring certain profession a person was equipped enough for the life­time, since society did not undergo such profound changes as it is the case today. Typical of the time we are living in are radical changes in life itself as well as in the possibilities of survival. Economic, political and cultural changes are usually sudden and extensive. This makes it extremely difficult to foresee the knowledge needed in the future. Actual needs can only be articulated in actual situ­ations. Nowadays, knowledge has become very fluid. Many new spheres of knowledge come into existence, a lot of once acquired knowledge becomes oboslete. To properly educate today means not to ennu­merate the bodies of knowledge one should pos­sess but to change the way of education and to introduce new basic methods for educations. A lot has been written by various specialists on new educational paradigms, new basic pattems have been found, according to which education would suit the present state of socio-economic relationships. Education offered in the time of industrial civilization does not meet the needs of the information society with its completely new relationships and processes. In the first place, new paradigms comprise non-formal education, privacy of education, invi­sible teacher and invisible (virtual) learning, access to knowledge for everybody (knowledge and education are not owned any more and are not subject to political power), development of char­acter features as long-lasting results of education, permanent education or life-long education. Within the framework of these new relationships certain knowledge can be offered when and where it is needed. Institutions Jose their relevance and are supplemented by personal relations and net­works. There is another paradigm of great impor­tance, namely the globalization of education as opposed to the existent national educational sys­ tems. Modern man needs to establish new relation­ships in the field of education, especially greater freedom and better possibilities for developing one's personality, distinguishing oneself and iden­ tifying one's character. When educating, modem man is more and more dependent on him/herself, dependent on the degree and way of acquiring knowledge. Thus, modem man is no longer dependent on the ones offering knowledge. In addition to that, education is closely related to economic and social development. As global mar­ket predominated over national markets, educational processes too are defined on global level.