In philosophy and media studies, a knowledge
space is described as an emerging anthropological
space in which the knowledge of individuals
becomes the primary focus for social structure,
values, and beliefs.
The concept is put forward and explored by
philosopher and media critic Pierre Lévy
in his 1997 book Collective Intelligence.
== Anthropological Space ==
Levy's notion of the "knowledge space" relies
on his conception of anthropological spaces,
which he defines as "a system of proximity
(space) unique to the world of humanity (anthropological),
and thus dependent on human technologies,
significations, language, culture, conventions,
representations, and emotions" (5).
Building on the language of the philosophers
Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, he states
that "anthropological spaces in themselves
are neither infrastructures nor superstructures
but planes of existence, frequencies, velocities,
determined within the social spectrum" (147).
Each space contains "worlds of signification"
(149) by which humans come to understand and
make sense of the world.
Furthermore, although one space may dominate,
many spaces can and do exist simultaneously.
Levy describes three existing anthropological
spaces.
They are:
Earth - This space corresponds with hunter-gatherer
eras in which people identify themselves by
familial relationships, derive meaning via
intimate connection with the signifier, and
where conceptions of time are driven by reminiscence.
Passed down narratives become the guiding
instruments that exist within the body of
the community.
Territorial - This space corresponds to the
rise of civilizations and the insistent division
of things and signs.
Within this space history becomes closed and
authoritative.
Within territorial space people identify themselves
by property ownership and nationality and
look to religion for guidance, with the book
become the substrate of choice.
Commodity - This space corresponds to the
rise of industrial revolution and world-markets
in which people begin to identify themselves
through one's career and wealth.
In this space, meaning becomes illusory, our
sense of time becomes abstract and uniform
(through the use of clocks) while our sense
of space becomes configured into a network.
Statistics and probability become guiding
concepts and indexes and networks of information
becomes the substrate through which knowledge
is passed on.
(175,210)
== The emerging knowledge space ==
The knowledge space is an emerging anthropological
space which, while it has always existed (139),
is only now coming into fruition as a guiding
space of humanity.
In this space, singularities (individuals)
are recognized as singularities and knowledge
becomes the guiding value for humanity.
Since all human experience represents unique
knowledge, within the knowledge space all
individuals are valued for their unique knowledge
regardless of race (earth space), nationality
(territorial space), or economic status (commodity
space).
Within this space static identity gives way
to the "quantum identities" as individuals
become participates and the distinction between
of "us" and "them" disappears (159).
Instead, humanity forms "collective intelligences"
in which knowledge is valued and freely traded.
What is "real" becomes "that which implies
the practical activity, intellectual and imaginary,
of living subjects" (168).
Life, experiences, and knowledge become the
underlying and ever changing guiding path
for human societies.
== Relation to Technology ==
Levy's theories rely heavily on the technological
developments of the 1990s, particularly the
rise of biotechnology, nanotechnology, the
Internet, new media and information technologies.
In chapter 3, he describes how technologies
have made a shift from the molar to the molecular
(a move which makes literal a distinction
by Delueze and Guattari) in that technologies
now handle units as individuals (his term
is "singularities") rather than in mass.
He suggests that this mirrors our rising recognition
of the individuals as singularities rather
than massive conglomerated groups
