Information society: novelty problem
This article is devoted to consideration of a specific question of novelty of modern information society. Is it possible to believe that due to the colossal increase in the volume of production, distribution and consumption of information, we have moved to the stage of postindustrial information society, which represents a qualitatively new stage in the development of society or its formation is a kind of result of a certain fundamental trend, originating in the early period of the modern era? Two of the most serious conceptual attempts to justify the qualitative specificity of the modern information society are discussed and critically examined: the concept of postindustrialism (technical knowledge plays a key role in innovative production) and the concept of postmodernism (does not use economic criteria, but is based solely on ideological differences). On the basis of the discussion, summarizing conclusions are made.