Everything decays, objects or concepts, all will spoil. What about our beloved academy? Is it still the same with the Plato’s version? Definitely not, it’s been politically overused, abused. It’s now the church of science. Church itself was the bright idea of ancient times, Church and the university were cool once, when they were formed. But they started to lag behind when they were not “reformed.”
We need to reform, every moment. Just like our bodies, our nature, planet, galaxy, universe. Thanks to re-forming we survive another day. Thanks to reshaping of things; we have daily occupations, different pursuits. Thanks to regeneration, we have energy. We should take a cue from the nature. Renewal of the days, sunset and sunrise should serve as a model for everyone. The planet sets an example for all of us to follow. Restart; your planet, your actual self restarts every day. Restart in every issue, reform in all environments; adapt…
When we look at the university, it was the home of universal knowledge, the house of wisdom. The place where facts are gathered around a library. Now it’s a business model, one can even say it’s operated for the convenience of the staff. It’not anywhere near the ancient academy, nor the research institutes of German states. There are many reasons that universities are out of their main function. Firstly, every institution and every abstract construct is to be obsolete over time. That’s because in order to instrumentalize, you have to make it a certain thing; which is contrary to dynamic world. In order to use, functionalize a thing it has to have a certain purpose, one direction. That makes it more controllable and predictable. University had many functions but we used and operated that concept as a technical training spot.
Secondly, there is Internet now. No university can compete with the amount of knowledge on the web. At the same time there are social outcomes of the university that Internet can’t supply. Yes there is still a necessity for universities, for churches as well. There will always be a function of such institutions, defined in a particular way. What we mean by “Internet is the new university” is that the original role of harbouring wisdom, the original philosophy now belongs to the Internet.
Let’s not forget that the church was a place for knowledge, the old knowledge. The church supplied the society with the necessary knowledge of that time, namely the knowledge of human relations through myths, stories, images. But we kind of developed scientific knowledge beside the knowledge of the humanities that were developed around the temples. Plato’s academy, the history of philosophy was the new knowledge; knowledge of the universals, the nature, knowledge that is not included in the myth. And now the school loses its function; since knowledge is everywhere now. Not just in the church and clergy, not just church and the university, but Internet as well.
Church becomes the old knowledge, and university becomes the old place for knowledge. Even so, isn’t there wisdom in universities? Yes there is. However, it’s like the books; through an old technology. Books have served the knowledge magnificently; yet we have more efficient mediums now. Electronic resources have tremendous advantages over the paper. It’s a matter of time for electronic reading to takeover paper reading. Some of us will insist on the books, as they do on the church; they will be the backup of the civilization. Just like we still need church for ceremonial and consoling purposes; just like the common folk needing simple myths as explanations; we’ll need the universities for certification and education of technical knowledge. And the backup of course, they will be the assurance of knowledge, in case we need to restore the order.
Church was the old knowledge, the clergy that didn’t reform themselves and worked for a particular function instead of every kind of knowledge. University again, becomes a church like old knowledge; works for a particular function instead of every aspect of knowledge. It works for technical training and renounces the missions and visions of old academies. It becomes mainstream and sacred instead of being part of the counter or upper culture such as the ancient ones.
What should we do? You may learn things from the university, however if you can handle the basic job of learning by yourself, we suggest you don’t subscribe to the church or the university. Do it independently, easily, effectively over the İnternet.
The church was fun at first, people made it for themselves; University was fun at first, volunteers went for intellectual entertainment. Now they’re out of context and they’re drudgery. The Internet, the voluntary and easy form of knowledge, has now become the new intellectual entertainment.
