Smart as a Paradigm of Modern Culture

Abstract

The article problematizes the characteristic of modern society as a Smart Society. As the evalua-tion criteria, the motives of human activity are suggested, which find their embodiment in the form of cultural objects. The consequence of the transformation of motives is presented by a change in cultural paradigm. The application of the term “paradigm” in relation to the phenomenon of culture allows focusing the attention on its components: axiological system to which the subjects of a particular cul-ture are oriented; algorithms of human behavior within the framework of culture and, accordingly, the prediction of his behavior; the formation of social mechanisms for typical problems solution. These elements of cultural paradigm present the criteria for the analysis of smart society. The analysis of various approaches to understanding the smart society allows concluding that the smart society pre-supposes continuous creation and development of new technologies, which accordingly requires continuous development and creation of knowledge, environment and infrastructure for its production and transmission. Thus, the author draws the conclusion that a smart-person is necessary for the functioning of the smart society. The comparison of philosophical concept of an intelligent person, formulated by Plato and modern social trends, makes it possible to distinguish the following characteristics of a smart per-son: a smart person makes smart decisions based on mathematical models and accurate calculations and competently uses smart devices. The formation of a smart-person is possible through an appropri-ate educational system which forms the appropriate characteristics and a cultural paradigm that trans-mits the corresponding axiological system. The contradictions within the smart paradigm are revealed: 1. Smart education aimed at the formation of open and responsible person finally creates only the skills of task performance, rather than problem statement of software products usage, without under-standing of the principles of their work; interaction with educational content, but not with a single person. 2. Absolute reliance on figures and statistical data leads to the leveling of the significance of hu-man being as imperfect against the background of the possibilities of accurate and rapid calculations and the error-free operations of artificial intelligence. The indicated contradictions are possible within axiological system formed by the smart para-digm: openness to perception of new components, continuous change, and elimination of emotional aspect. The condition for the existence of the presented values is the leveling of the transcendental component. In this context, the limitations of human existence are interpreted in a new perspective: a person is limited by his needs, which is an obstacle to economic growth; a person is limited to every-day life, as a result of which the process of self-determination is carried out only through the things and events that surround a person. This reduces the process of the formation of meanings to the pro-cess of continuous minor changes in material reality. A person does not become a goal for the world of smart technologies; he becomes a means of its existence. As a result, the conclusion is made that the actualization of human being within the framework of the smart paradigm requires the modification of some cultural landmarks, first of all, in the system of education, gender identity and religious affiliation.