No+time+to+think+Reflections+on+information+technology+and+contemplative+scholarship



Abstract. This paper argues that the accelerating pace of life is reducing the time for thoughtful reflection, and in particular for contemplative scholarship, within the academy. It notes that the loss of time to think is occurring at exactly the moment when scholars, educators, and students have gained access to digital tools of great value to scholarship. It goes on to explore how and why both of these facts might be true, what it says about the nature of scholarship, and what might be done to address this state of affairs. Key words: acceleration, contemplation, information overload, information technology, Joseph Pieper, leisure, Vannevar Bush