One can argue ... of course, what else has he done? But, he only provided the technology, and made a market assessment. But the other essence of the market, the consumers' motivation to pay for the product, who provided that? Was it Gutenberg who persuaded, by pure marketing interest, the people's majority that it is worthwile paying, still, a lot of money for being able to read the scripture yourself ? And, not much later, to read the news?
Or was it another single man, maybe Erasmus of Rotterdam, or his good friend Sir Thomas More, or those states (btw, monarchies) who first provided a public school system?
Or was there some inherent thrive to know in the people, and if so where did it come from?
I would say, knowledge as a matter of qualification and as a means of social enhancement of those who were able and open to understand was opposed to a previous system, in which the social position of the individual did depend more on the social position of that individual's parents ... aristocratic system, already broken by the need for technical, financial, medical specialists, that the aristocracy was not able to provide among themselves in sufficient numbers.
No information revolution (printing) without the reign of mediocres!
Regards, the hobby egalitarian. |
