In the time of DaVinci it was actually possible in one lifetime to read everything of value in philosophy, mathematics, science, history, religion, literature, politics, law, art, poetry, etc.
You know, Christopher, I always used to say that it was a damn good thing the Library at Alexandria was burned down. Otherwise, think of all that extra stuff we would all have had to learn and to read(this applies to DaVinci, too)!
I suggest that there may be one more factor contributing to the apparent decrease in general knowledge. It is that, at one time, there was a consensus about what an educated person should know. With the advent of elective courses, etc., that consensus has broken down. Thus you can find two highly "informed" people who can't carry on a conversation with one another because each one is quite ignorant of what the other one knows.
Joan |
