Summary: The paper discusses the modernization of knowledge among Bulgarians during the 19th century, prior to the Liberation of Bulgaria (1878). As the usual narrative on this topic tends to focus on the quantitative increase in knowledge, the author aims to highlight the qualitative shift. In this context, the transformation of thinking and language is considered to be one of the main dimensions of modernization. A few major trends are discussed: the replacement of the traditional symbols and terms with a modern ones; the development of the mathematical worldview and analytical thinking; the complex relationship between ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ attitudes towards knowledge; the irrational foundation of the ‘enlightened’ rationalism; the peculiarity of the early ‘home-grown’ literacy; the uneven path of the technological know-how; the rising social importance of professionals as knowledge bearers; the quasi-religious cult of scientific progress, and finally, the roots of the present Information Age, which could be traced as far back as the 19th century. All these topics are illustrated with a large number of quotes to better represent the authentic voice of the relevant era.
Keywords: symbolic language, mathematical thinking, objective vs. subjective knowledge, history of technology, cult of science
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