The logic of the development of civilization: from information to intellectual society

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the contemporary civilizational development, identification of the most important priorities, which have to promote the successful transformation to the planetary-cosmic level of the civilizational system, overcoming the current civilizational crisis and the possible death of the society. The goal of this article is to determine a certain model of the civilizational development, that should consort with future. The comparative analysis methods of existing and proper, and projection from the future, are used in this research. In the process of this study of the modern information society, its contradictions are identified and critical remarks of the conceptual principles from the standpoints of F. Webster, T. Roszak, K. May, D. Tapscott, F. Machlup, M. Porat, Y. Masuda, A. Toffler are analyzed. The main criteria of the information society is also analyzed, according to which «the information is becoming the main resource of the social progress in every field of life», its the most important characteristics are considered, which should contain «objective and subjective measurement of information», the quantity and quality of this information, truthful or fake, essential and non-essential information. In conclusion, it is impossible to separate the exact informational from non-informational segments of economy. Certain myths of information society are criticized, according to which its development is automatically leading to democracy and giving the equal access to information. The real threats of the information society are determined: the total control over people’s life and work, the virtualization of life and «loss» of the real world, the creation of an information concentration camp. The authors come to a conclusion, that information flows are growing in present-day conditions, but one has to consider, that foremost this is increasing of the amount of information, which reflects the development of scientific knowledge. Other traits of modern society are also revealed, and they attest the constant process of its intellectualization. Attention is paid to the formation of «cognitariat», the presence of which indicates that the main role in modern society belongs to scientific activity. The very fact of setting up an institute of continuous education is being comprehended. Based on such arguments, the authors come to a conclusion, that information society creates only preconditions for the formation of civilization of intellectual creation, which is a necessary stage of its transformation to the planetary-cosmic level. There are three stages in the formation of intellectual civilization: the civilization of existence, civilization of enrichment and civilization of intellectual creation. It is easy to make a conclusion that there is a need to for further intellectualization of society, especially in its educational field.