Resumen de I paradossi della conoscenza: considerazioni sul ruolo delle biblioteche in un'epoca di "sovraccarico informativo" e conformismo culturale
The thought that gives the economy the leadership role in our society considers knowledge as a tool to produce ever new goods that attract the greatest number of consumers. Now the crisis has denied the faith in the promises of an unlimited growth. But can the market always have the last word? Who allows economists to determine the purpose of our lives? Is the happiness that they ceaselessly promise achievable or is it just a dream of their dogmatism? Despite the repeated praise of knowledge, the school seems to fail its aims. Students show an uncertain grasp of written language and serious difficulties in understanding elementary texts. So the ability to assess the flow of informations that assail us decreases. The idea of Enlightenment, that saw informations to consumers' lives are now entrusted to the media, the other knowledges are neglected and considered unnecessary or even dangerous. Now more than ever we need a critical thinking that helps us to understand the trends of our time. The sirens of advertising want to convine everyone to consume without thinking. The library, where for millennia the sources were studied and evaluated, can offer an alternative to conformity of common views.
