By the turn of the twentieth century, then, the world's three most influential institutions – academia, government and the corporation – had each adopted a stringent division of labour, establishing a new culture of hyper-specialisation in every sphere of life; a trend that would become the norm to the present day.

Crockett and Ibrahim compartmentalise their various projects; switching effectively between them on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. While the act of switching constantly between different worlds can prove to be an excitingly rewarding lifestyle, it can also have the effect of psychological rejuvenation. Some, for example, use this switch between

(Universal knowledge is no longer within the…

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His Alienation Theory explained how the specialised and repetitive nature of the production process causes workers to ‘become depressed spiritually and physically to the condition of a machine’. The cause of specialisation, he contended, was a policy of the division of labour, which extended beyond the factory and became a social norm The division

With this, however, come some important questions to ask ourselves: why are we even seeking knowledge? What does ‘learning’ or ‘education’ mean to us? What is our idea of accomplishment, happiness, fulfilment and success? As it stands, we have been told to prepare for a job – one too that is likely to soon be automated! Importantly, we must be

In his book How to Find Fulfilling Work, cultural thinker Roman Kznaric insisted that ‘pursuing several careers at the same time is a way of thriving and being true to our multiple selves’. Fulfilment is especially undermined when people experience diminishing returns by spending too much time in a particular field.

together with the fundamental Islamic concept of tawheed, which alludes to the unity of the cosmos, and the powerful example of its prophet, Muhammad's own multifaceted life inspired generations of extraordinary Muslim polymaths (or Hakeem).

perceived the vastness of knowledge to be unmanageable as a whole. So a highly critical, reductionist approach to learning, pioneered by French philosopher Rene Descartes, steered the trend towards intellectual specialisation,…

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Things derive their being and nature by mutual dependence and are nothing in themselves. – Nagarjuna, Buddhist philosopher (150–250)