From the Commonwealth of Learning to the Future of Knowledge: A Dialogue with Professor Peter Burke

The International Core Academy of Sciences and Humanities is pleased to publish a dialogue with Professor Peter Burke, Fellow of CORE Academy, under the title “From the Commonwealth of Learning to the Future of Knowledge.” Professor Burke is one of the most distinguished cultural historians of our time. His work has made major contributions to cultural history, the social history of knowledge, the history of ignorance, the study of polymaths, and the history of historical thought. In this dialogue, Professor Burke reflects on the old ideal of the respublica litterarum, or “Commonwealth of Learning,” and considers its meaning in a world of increasingly global yet fragmented scholarly communication. The conversation also addresses the future of knowledge in the digital and AI age, including the distinction between information, knowledge, and judgment; the persistence of older struggles over access, authority, and trust; the importance of source criticism; the place of the humanities; and the long history of dreams of omniscience, universal knowledge, and perfect prediction. The CORE Academy Secretariat conducted this dialogue as part of the Academy’s continuing effort to provide a platform for Fellows’ reflections on scholarship, knowledge, and the responsibilities of international academic life.