The Influence Of Technological Development On Epistemology
The written word has no boundaries and knows no fear. It's constantly working, never ceasing or discouraged and tells its story continuously. It's more permanent than orality, the truth is reflected, revised and makes its message clear after all audible words have been forgotten and lost over time. What happened to the rich contents of print epistemology and its fruition (i. e. literacy, comprehension)? The years of knowledge, truth, research provided by authors consolidated in single books at people's disposal. The answer is simple, technological development. With America's constant reliance on technology and its counterparts such as media, internet, television, print slowly dissipates. Often times, this reliance handicaps Americans from the inability to critically evaluate what we look at, read and assess. With the constant rise of technological development, it will open the door to modernization in American society, as a result, public discourse and our methodology of truths will change.
Postman asserts that print-based epistemology is far superior than today’s modern technological epistemology, “the printing press makes rather stringent demands on our bodies as well as our minds”. He insinuates print is content-laden, words are undeniably significant, having meaning thus taking concentration, discipline, and rationality to understand it. As a result, people cannot simply just walk away but are forced to remain immobile. The beauty of print epistemology is that it’s simple, it’s active (i. e. concentration, focus), in-depth, logical and linear. There is no form of distraction when reading the written word. Postman further asserts print is almost like having “a conversation with no one yet everyone”. As many authors write with so much resonance, it allows the reader to see truths from an author’s perspective. The expository prose can be felt within the pages of a single book, thus having a conversation. As print has much depth, the contents are assumed to have been reflected on and revised by proper authorities. With in-depth knowledge written in the pages of a book, and a disciplined mind to read, people are able to retain more information than today’s modern technological epistemology. Further, not only does print-based epistemology allow memory retention, but affects public discourse by having many different levels of intricate conversations and eloquence.
In contrast, modern technological epistemology such as the internet or television has a tendency to make people become passive. As there is unlimited access to knowledge through the internet, as well as platforms like television, the type of content released establishes the conversations we have in today’s society. In Chapter 1, The Medium is a Metaphor, Postman uses multiple anecdotes of politicians then and now to emphasize just how shallow conversations and society is becoming. As media provides brief information, is image-based, with randomized context it makes it rather difficult for people to have coherent discussions. The lack of depth and cohesion in media will continue to increase passivity in people as well as the inability to critically think. As Postman mentions Huxley author of Brave New World, “people will come to love their oppression, to adore technologies that undo the capacities to think”. Moreover, with modern technological epistemology, media (i. e. internet, television) can very well be manipulated. It’s as they say “truths aren’t always what they seem to be”. Nonetheless, media is all about casualness, it’s meant to be quick therefore not encouraging true understanding.
Although both theories of knowledge are quaint in its own way, Postman’s underlying implication remains, in spite of uniqueness, print will supersede due to its methods of mental organization. Postman quoted Northrop Frey who remarked, “the written word is far more powerful than simply a reminder: it re-creates the past in the present, and gives us, not the familiar remembered thing, but the glittering intensity of the summoned-up hallucination”. As mentioned before, print is active, the depth of content calls for repetition, analysis, discussions, and reflection. However, these are just one of the many key layers that allow the mind to mentally organize and process what is assessed. When looking that the written word, the basic fundamentals that allow mental organization is the simplicities of logic, rationality, and linearity. Combining all these ingredients, a reader can focus on content without aesthetic distraction resulting in the efficiency in terms of comprehension and discourse. In addition, this attitude of detachment can draw the reader in and as Frey mentions, re-create the past and present given from its contents. Think about…Harry Potter.
On the other hand, the technological approach (i. e. internet, television, media) although has content, tends to be more image based and does not demand to be understood. As print requires the reader to understand the knowledge of its language, the internet’s imaged based aesthetic provides its demand of recognition beforehand. With media (in general), the contents are extremely randomized, recycled and doesn’t encourage full understanding. It allows a person to absorb the content for brief moments at a time, and then move on. As a result, with the internet’s lack of stringent demands on the mind, and content which can be curated, provides instant gratification and makes it more favorable to the public. However, while there’s short term gratification, this passiveness that the internet incites does more harm than good. As discussions, news, specific topics become more shallow as well as sporadic, it makes no room for reflection. This will further result in affecting public discourse and handicapping people from having long term conversations, debates, down to the basic fundamental principles of government.
In addition, Postman further remarks “I hope to persuade you that the decline of print-based epistemology and the accompanying rise of a television-based epistemology has had grave consequences for public life, that we are getting sillier by the minute”. When dissecting Postman’s layers of his thesis in the first three chapters of Amusing Ourselves to Death, he may just very well be correct. With constant technological development, advancement, and improvement, America’s illiteracy will slowly but surely continue to rise. While modern technological epistemology increases, print will decrease. That means writing, the once considered perceptual revolution according to Plato and its basic fundamentals will fade away with time. When reflecting on Postman’s ideas of print and modern epistemology, it all leads back to Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World. As people have unlimited access to knowledge and obtuse media in general; it incites passivity and boredom. It’s as the cliché’ saying goes “sometimes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing”, the gist of Huxley’s A Brave New World.
All things considered, Postman’s predictions in the decline of print epistemology are on point. As well as Huxley’s idea that society will “adore technology that will undo the capacities to think”. With the passivity that technology incites, oppression will be something that will be loved by the people unless they’re the prisoner that breaks free (i. e. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave). With the onslaught of technology and the peoples will for constant improvement, the way truths are presented will change. Although the written word will always be around, as its permanent, technology, unlike print, will allow mobility. This mobility allows people to multitask and reflect on content with complete casualness. Therefore, with America growing and becoming busier people will always gravitate toward this modernized option because it’s easy. The technological epistemology approach calls for fewer demands on mental focus. As time progresses, one can only imagine the rise of illiteracy to complete incompetence. Thus the continuous rise of technology will keep opening doors to further modernization resulting in a change to public discourse and methodologies of how truths are viewed.
