Antinomies of Professionalism: The Philosophical and Historical Considerations

• Main Author: Daniel Roland Sobota
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nicolaus Copernicus University Press 2016-10-01
• Series: Journal of Corporate Responsibility and Leadership
• Subjects: professionalism; philosophy and history of profession; occupation; calling; business ethics; division of labour
• Online Access: http://jcrl.umk.pl/files/7914/8837/2736/Sobota.pdf

The aim of the paper is to discuss the philosophical and historical sources and concepts of the antinomy of contemporary professionalism. A professional is somebody distinct from a craftsman and a specialist. Professionalism has its roots in the medieval phenomenon of a profession, which refers to the category of an occupation, liberal arts as well as the beginning of universities and a characteristic vision of education. In the 19th century, the understanding of a profession was altered. The development of science and technology, which runs in parallel with the endorsement of materialistic objectivism, resulting in the total separation of reality from the realm of values, contributed to the fact that professionalism was cracking at its seams. In consequence, the contemporary professionalism is endangered by the possibility of losing its essence. The dangers are the following: commercialisation, corporationalism, esoterism, politicalisation, bureaucratization, technocracy and barbarisation.