Sociološke marginalije o deontologiji poziva profesora emeritusa u zajednici homo academicus-a i savremenom društvu

Abstract

There is no retirement for a true thinker, scientist and revolutionary. Such persons resist the passage of time as long as they are driven by the creative Eros and Promethean ethos of their vocation. Their intellectual odyssey is all but temporarily stopped by physical death, and it is the test of time that will show the true value of their work, which outlives their authors. The true measure of achievement of professors emeriti is how much they have contributed to the advancement of the quality of education and of scientific work of the community of the homo academicus, how much they have increased its innovation potential, and how much they have multiplied the critical intellectual power of the nation they belong to and of humankind. The paper addresses the sociological, pedagogical, scientific and culturological aspects of being an emeritus professor in the contemporary society. Practice shows that developed and democratic modern societies, academic communities and corporations are more open to the engagement of professors emeriti and the use of their rich pedagogical, scientific and research experience than underdeveloped authoritarian communities, whose political and managerial elites do not have a responsible attitude towards the potential of those who belong to the 'third generation'. The paper attempts to classify societies according to their relation towards scientific and pedagogical innovations, and the intellectual potential of professors emeriti, and to point to their deontological role in the contemporary university and society. The author puts forward the hypothesis that mature and healthy societies are open towards the innovation potential of professors emeriti, that such societies do not discriminate against such citizens on the basis of their age, and that they stimulate the synthesis of experience and youth in the permanent education of the homo academicus. Getting elected professor emeritus is not just an honour but also an obligation to serve the scientific community, national culture and mankind.