Retrospective philosophical analysis of the dilemma “education or competence?”

The article examines the urgent problem of the content of education today. A comparison is given of the philosophical views of R. Descartes and B. Spinoza in the interpretation by E.V. Ilyenkov on the relationship between thinking and real things. Particular attention is paid to the importance of thinking in a dynamically developing world. This problem requires close attention and further research. The work was written at the intersection of philosophy and pedagogy.