Knowledge In The 21st Century

4 Pages 963 Words

What exactly does it mean to be an educated person? The definition of an educated person has changed dramatically over the period of the last century, and this is what Peter Drucker, author of, “The Age of Social Transformation” discusses in his essay. He believes that an educated person is one “who has learned how to learn, and who continues learning, especially by formal education, throughout his or her lifetime (Drucker 233).” People without this type of education are seen as failures in today’s society. A person with an abundance of knowledge through formal education is usually placed upon a pedestal. This pedestal is signified through occupation (professionals) and status (standards of living). This standard is a set rule each person in society is expected to live up to. Without schooling, an individual is looked down upon and does not receive opportunities to attain that higher position in his/her society. This is a society in which the “common good” of the society is not taken into consideration. Society has become ignorant to the fact that there are individuals in this society that do not have the opportunity to receive a formal education, but does that mean that they cannot acquire knowledge in other ways? Is a formal education really needed to acquire knowledge? Who set these rules? In my opinion, a true knowledge society would be one that reaped for the “common good.” I am in favor of an education that is well rounded; one that teaches not one, but many things. If one is specialized in only one field, how is that person expected to move along in a fast-paced world full of diversity? A true knowledgeable person is one who is balanced. Also, teaching individuals how to apply that knowledge to the real world is extremely important. Richard E. Miller and Kurt Spellmeyer, authors of the “Introduction” to the New Humanities book would agree with my definition of what it means to be an educated ...