Twentieth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Multipotentialites (polymaths) have existed for centuries. However, with the industrialisation and mass production through job division and segmentation, both industries and training shifted towards finer and finer specialisation. Although attention and interests in interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity have amplified in the past decades, the focus is still primarily on diversity within a team rather than diversity embedded within one person. Similarly, although the training and teaching and learning show some signs and interest of embracing problem-based approach and multidisciplinarity, the dominant form and focus remain primarily organised within or around particular disciplines. The rise of 4IR and gig economy is expected to disrupt this century-old approach as AI’s advantages mainly lie in highly specialised and narrow domains, while human’s identity will be less and less tied to one particular job or specialisation in the gig economy. This study traces the history of multipotentiality and discusses the potential for its revival in the upcoming new 4IR era.