Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Journal | Volume | Article

216823

E-ducation and the languages of information

Luciano Floridi

pp. 247-251

Abstract

‘Civilised’, ‘cultured’, and ‘educated’: perhaps there were times when these words could rightly be treated as synonymous. Thucydides and Cicero may come to mind. Some characters in Jane Austin, Henry James, or Edith Wharton seem to draw little distinction between the three corresponding concepts. Yet today they hardly overlap at all. ‘Civilised’ refers to a person’s manners and behaviours; ‘cultured’ qualifies someone who is engaged with arts, letters, and other intellectual pursuits; and ‘educated’ is usually applied to people who have successfully attended learning or training courses offered by primary, secondary, or tertiary (higher) institutions. One could be any of the three without being either of the remaining two. Globalisation has greatly contributed to this differentiation, even if it has been pushing it in opposite directions, local and global. Montaigne already knew that ‘civilised’ and ‘cultured’ had local interpretations. The difference is that today, we feel increasingly less justified in prioritising one ‘locality’ over the others, be this Rio de Janeiro, New Delhi, Beijing, or Tokyo. We know that it is a matter of civilised manners both to take off one’s shoes and to keep them on, it depends on where we are or whom we are visiting. We accept that Alice may be cultured even if she has no clue about Bossa Nova music, Sattriya dance, Sichuanese opera, or Noh plays. And we acknowledge that education is not about any of this. Compulsory schooling, the institutionalisation of teaching and learning, pedagogical universal principles, and the globalisation of the job market began detaching education from upbringing a long time ago. Today, an avionics engineer, a scholar of Mexican literature, a developmental psychologist, or a macro-economist is increasingly evaluated on global, international standards.

Publication details

Published in:

(2013) Philosophy & Technology 26 (3).

Pages: 247-251

DOI: 10.1007/s13347-013-0124-9

Full citation:

Floridi Luciano (2013) „E-ducation and the languages of information“. Philosophy & Technology 26 (3), 247–251.