https://doi.org/10.15255/KUI.2024.053
Published: Kem. Ind. 74 (3-4) (2025) 151–160
Paper reference number: KUI-53/2024
Paper type: Review
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Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.): Its Scientific and Social Significance Then and Now

V. Šunjić

Abstract

This overview examines how changes in the status of higher education, defined by the Ph.D. degree (doctorate of science) as both an achievement and a qualification for performing the most intellectually and creatively demanding tasks in society, have historically paralleled shifts in the concept of being – both for individuals and for society as a whole. The moral and cultural emphasis on being has given way to a societal focus on the moral and culture of having or possessing. The social, economic, and political consequences of changes in the status of the Ph.D. degree are illustrated through various examples from different spheres of social activity. These changes have been influenced for centuries by industrial and economic development, particularly in recent times, as many traditional human activities are in decline. The path of humanity, driven by an ever-growing culture of possession has become increasingly unpredictable. Given that the central theme of the presented considerations is the emergence of a societal dichotomy, clearly delineated by the concepts of being and possession, these and other related terms are highlighted in italics throughout the text.

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Keywords

being, possession, doctorate (Ph.D. degree), historic significance, scientific aspects, social aspects, legal aspects, plagiaries