Luther's translation of The Bible in the early sixteenth century provides one example(albeit non- technical)of the construction of new patterns of knowledge and the rapid dissemination of information. Suddenly The Bible became German. Furthermore, Luther expressed great surprise at the speed with which his writings were translated from Latin using the printing press and distributed throughout Europe. The same occurred in many spheres of knowledge, particularly science and alchemy. Historians have observed how the power of the d word was expanded beyond the realm of the elite to an increasing proportion of society who could read the The late Middle Ages is known as a time of the passing of traditional society. Events such as Luthers questioning of The Church, and the explosion of new ideas that arose during and after that time led to breakdown of the traditional relationship between lord and serf, king and country. The questioning of ideas, loyalties, beliefs, and authority continued relentlessly, spurring social rebellion and the establishment of a new order. Concurrent with this dissention, or perhaps pushing it along, was the publication of masses of tracts, pamphlets, and books Sometimes described by scholars as a period of the democratisation of knowledge, the late Middle Ages was a time when knowledge became accessible to al 4. The democratisation of knowledge With democratisation, individuals act freely, elect their representatives, and have open access to knowledge. There are at least six ways in which knowledge has been democratised since the period of the reformation 4.1 Breath of Dissemination Once Luther translated The Bible into german, and scholars such as bacon and dante wrote for the popular tongue, knowledge became accessible by a much broader range of people. Information was no longer confined to those who could read Latin 4.2 Speed of Dissemination The Gutenberg printing press made it easier to print multiple copies of articles and broadsides. With improvements in transportation, pamphlets could then be distributed more quickly. With technologicl innovations of the last two centuries, the speed of dissemination of knowledge has become virtually instantaneous, providing less opportunity for adulteration of information by social elites. Indeed, since the very first use of the telegraph in 1844, the importance of immediacy of news(often regardless of content) has reigned supreme in the media What better example of the undercutting of authoritative knowledge(and hence its democratisation) than the on- ' Postman, N(1992) Technopoly The Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York: Vintage Postman, N.(1984)Amucing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of shonw Business. London: Penguin.- 5 - Postman, N. (1992) Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York: Vintage. 3 Postman, N. (1984) Amuzing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. London: Penguin. 4 change, however. Luther’s translation of The Bible in the early sixteenth century provides one example (albeit non￾technical) of the construction of new patterns of knowledge and the rapid dissemination of information. Suddenly, The Bible became German. Furthermore, Luther expressed great surprise at the speed with which his writings were translated from Latin using the printing press and distributed throughout Europe. The same occurred in many spheres of knowledge, particularly science and alchemy . Historians have observed how the power of the 3 printed word was expanded beyond the realm of the elite to an increasing proportion of society who could read the common language. The late Middle Ages is known as a time of the passing of traditional society. Events such as Luther’s questioning of The Church, and the explosion of new ideas that arose during and after that time led to breakdown of the traditional relationship between lord and serf, king and country. The questioning of ideas, loyalties, beliefs, and authority continued relentlessly, spurring social rebellion and the establishment of a new order. Concurrent with this dissention, or perhaps pushing it along, was the publication of masses of tracts, pamphlets, and books. Sometimes described by scholars as a period of the democratisation of knowledge, the late Middle Ages was a time when knowledge became accessible to all. 4. The Democratisation of Knowledge With democratisation, individuals act freely, elect their representatives, and have open access to knowledge. There are at least six ways in which knowledge has been democratised since the period of the reformation: 4.1 Breath of Dissemination Once Luther translated The Bible into German, and scholars such as Bacon and Dante wrote for the popular tongue, knowledge became accessible by a much broader range of people. Information was no longer confined to those who could read Latin. 4.2 Speed of Dissemination The Gutenberg printing press made it easier to print multiple copies of articles and broadsides. With improvements in transportation, pamphlets could then be distributed more quickly. With technologicl innovations of the last two centuries, the speed of dissemination of knowledge has become virtually instantaneous, providing less opportunity for adulteration of information by social elites. Indeed, since the very first use of the telegraph in 1844, the importance of immediacy of news (often regardless of content) has reigned supreme in the media . 4 What better example of the undercutting of authoritative knowledge (and hence its democratisation) than the on-