Opinion Sur
To promote and safeguard the common wellbeing it is necessary to generate appropriate knowledge: knowledge that will help deal the most pressing challenges that are faced in the social, political, economic and ethic sphere. It is widely known that contemporary societies are increasingly based on knowledge; not only technologic but also economic, organizational, financial, psychological, sociological and philosophical. It is 360 degree knowledge because it covers all spheres of comprehension and of social and individual life.
This knowledge –sustained by centuries of development in the different civilizations- is multiple and diverse despite that certain think tanks that generate or mobilize ideas and proposals intend to give their products a look and feel of universality they do not have. The fact is that the enormous diversity of situations and circumstances reality presents does not cease to open spaces for more and better knowledge to keep developing. The generation of knowledge is composed by a number of singular episodes –which is the base for the specificity and differentiation of knowledge- even if common denominators, crossed influences, roots or similar origins can be identified.
The generation and application of this diversified and singular knowledge mobilizes societies. Innovations, investments, forms of social and environmental organization are influenced and embedded with that swiftly expanding knowledge. The XXI century is the century of knowledge intensive services and industries. These activities are not only important employment generators but also have a monumental influence on the constant leaps in labor productivity and use –careful or destructive- of natural resources.
But in order to give a boost to the general wellbeing it is necessary to generate appropriate knowledge. This means, encouraging and facilitating that it is generated adapted to our circumstances and needs: knowledge that will help deal with the most pressing challenges that are faced in the social, political, economic and ethic spheres. A concept with some remnants of the notion of appropriate technology that captured our imagination some decades ago but adding a second meaning to the term ‘appropriate’: knowledge appropriated by whom. Which actors are capable of ‘appropriating’ the generated knowledge and which are not: all, some, most?
In order for the investment in ‘appropriate knowledge’ (in that double meaning) to generate sustainable development it should serve everyone and not only certain privileged groups; ignoring it compromises the future. The wealth gap that exists between countries and social groups is enlarged with the extremely dangerous gap in terms of knowledge that is spreading throughout the world.
It so happens that in the same sphere knowledge is generated interests and values are in play. That is why it is practically inevitable that knowledge will emerge impregnated with values and interests; this is, that the values and interests prevailing in the world and in every society in particular, condition and guide the generation of knowledge. This does not exclude that there are individuals and organizations working on the generation of knowledge motivated by knowledge itself, in principle not utilitarian, but increasingly the conditions and especially the orientation of knowledge generation end up being considerably influenced by the prevailing set of values and interests. Thus, it is critical to be able to identify whether the values and interests implicit in the type of knowledge generated or adopted is functional to hegemonic groups or to society as a whole.
Regarding policies that promote the generation of knowledge it is then necessary to consider that values, interests, knowledge and their applications constitute a web of factors that influence and sustain very different courses and ways of socioeconomic functioning. Therefore a wide and non-discriminatory promotional policy should be implemented prioritizing the knowledge that best serves the general wellbeing.
