The Profession's Role in the Global Information Society

M ost people agree that computer science will play a significant role in the global information society. But what will that role be? Analyzing the part knowledge played in the agrarian, industrial, and information societies—which correspond roughly to the past, present, and future—can help answer this question. In an agrarian society, people provide the main source of energy, in the sense that someone who needs a service that involves an expenditure of energy must employ a human. For example, getting a ditch dug requires arranging for a human to dig it. Historically, the agrarian society greatly valued human knowledge, but only a narrow group in that society— monks and noblemen—had access to that knowledge. Further, in this society the word science referred to rhetorics, grammar, logic, music, and so on—not the disciplined method of inquiry upon which researchers base their work today. The skills of master craftsmen such as carpenters, blacksmiths, and shoe-makers complemented the agrarian view of science. Transferring a master craftsman's knowledge to his journey-men presented a real challenge, however. Because he learned by observing his master, acquiring an education took a long time. Often, a journeyman needed up to half of his life to become a master craftsman. In the centralized and hierarchical agrarian society, the master craftsman's role was to create, use, and transfer knowledge. As the maker of new technologies , the master craftsman created knowledge. He used his knowledge to manufacture tangible products and offer services. Finally, by teaching jour-neymen, he transferred knowledge. Paradoxically, however, passing on his knowledge was not in the master craftsman's best interest. Although the law of supply and demand had yet to be formally stated, he knew perfectly well that disseminating his knowledge would increase his competition and reduce his revenues. Thus, restricted distribution of knowledge blocked social and technological progress in the agrarian society. Two technical inventions—the steam engine and electricity—drove the tremendous development of industrial society that began near the end of the 19th century. Why these two? Because both replaced human labor with commonly available and virtually unlimited energy sources. Laborers thus lost the role that defined their usefulness to society: Machines could now perform these jobs cheaper, faster, and better. In the industrial society that began flourishing in the 20th century, however, humans still retained the irreplaceable attribute of intelligence—defined as the ability to use accrued knowledge to make correct decisions. People needed intelligence to …