What are the causes of this change and what are its dangers?
The growth of knowledge leads to compartmentalization and specialization. In its general aspect knowledge is a unity of the various topics studied. The tree may be one for the purpose of study but it is composed of many distinctive parts with particular functions. Even no two leaves are alike. So too in the case of science. As scientific knowledge develops fast, each branch of study becomes distinct and comprehensive. Those who study medicine to qualify as doctors after a number of years become general practitioners before they branch out into other fields of medicine to become specialists.
With the growth of different branches of science, specialization becomes inevitable. Look at the wheelwright of the olden days and a modern motor foreman in a workshop. In the former case he knew all about wheels. He was the master of all the processes. From the time of selecting the raw material to the finished product, he is everything. But in a motor workshop, there are several specialists connected with the car. There may be an expert in the engine, another in the electric circuit, a third in gears. While each one may be competent in his own field, none of them will be competent to deal with the motor car as a whole. This is perhaps the difference between industries of old and modern technology.
Specialization goes for efficiency and rapid growth. Quicker results become possible. For example, we are not astounded to hear that every two minutes or so a finished car rolls out of the Ford Plant. This is the result of the combined effort of thousands of specialists along the production or ‘Assembly’ line. Given all the tools, even the best of a craftsman would not be able to assemble a car even within a year. Thus technology has enabled mass production.
This is true of science. Each major branch of science has dozens and dozens of sub-branches. So in chemistry, there are many branches; e.g. the man who is a specialist in biochemistry does need to know much of fuel chemistry. So too in physics. As knowledge advances this division becomes necessary. It is like a book of knowledge; the book is one but each page contains something different from the other.
If things move smoothly, no difficulty is seen, but once difficulty starts, one has to hunt for an expert. If he is not available the whole unit stops functioning. When one is a master, he can shoot troubles easily.
For instance, look at the commercial airways of a country. Those who are employed are the pilots, air hostesses, engineers, ground engineers and other technical personnel. When there is some trouble in the air craft the whole organization suffers. This is true of any big scientific or technological organization and this leads to many social problems, sometimes to willful obstruction of work and the consequent suffering as the technologists are in a bargaining position.
Specialization may also lead to other problems especially in the field of production. More technologists, means more production. Unless there is a market to absorb all that is produced the vicious circle of economic crisis may come. So far as there is an expanding market this difficulty may not be felt. But, with restricted or preferred market, the above difficulty becomes unavoidable and may, in extreme cases, spark a war.. That is how, they say World Wars got started.
So one can safely conclude that specialization is not such an unalloyed blessing.
