Nico Stehr

Professor, Karl Mannheim Chair for Cultural Studies, Zeppelin University, Germany

Knowledge in the broadest sense of the term is a capacity to act (capable of use) rather than an object (or a subjective insight of our mind). Knowledge is a people’s resource; and this applies whether the knowledge in question is a sophisticated mathematical theorem or the competence to prepare a tasty meal. Knowledge defines many of the phenomena of modern societies. But despite its prominence, knowledge is a hard term to grasp and often remains nebulous. It is necessary to explore the category of knowledge from a sociological perspective, and trace the concept of knowledge as the very fabric of modern societies. As we move through our modern world, the phenomenon we call knowledge never seems to be far. Whether we talk of know-how, technology, innovation or education, it is the concept of knowledge that ties them all together. Despite its ubiquity as a modern trope, we seldom encounter knowledge as a concept itself. How is it produced, where does it reside, who owns it and what is its price? Is knowledge always beneficial, will we know all there is to know at some point in the future, and does knowledge really equal power? We need to pursue these questions as an original approach and trace the many ways knowledge how it is discovered, signified, validated, transported, disseminated, utilized, questioned, discarded, rediscovered and, as indicated, woven into the very fabric of modern society.

Keywords: modern societies, knowledge as a capacity to act, knowledge as power, production of knowledge, use of knowledge.