This week we were enlightened (harhar) of the concept of enlightenment and the power of media, which was quite interesting and very relevant to our program. I haven’t really thought about the complexity of the term before, it’s actually a lot more to it than just gaining knowledge.
So basically, enlightenment encourages people to gain knowledge through observation and research instead of filling the unknown with fantasy and ‘myths’. However, enlightenment could also have some negative sides as discussed during the seminar. For example, if one would at all times observe things scientifically as they are, it wouldn’t leave much room for imagination which could actually lead to new discoveries. Compare this to Theme 1 and Copernicus, where he used a little imagination and tried doing research while assuming that the planets didn’t revolve around Earth, but instead around the sun which actually came closer to the truth. Thus I think it’s probably good to have a balance between the two.
During the week it has also become even more apparent how dangerous media is in the wrong hands. Here we discussed fascism and communism, and how media was distributing propaganda used to glorify politics. I believe that the conclusion was that mass media channels enlightenment, since it portrays society for us through research. It’s good if we experience media, while at the same time being critical to it and not believe everything that we’re being fed. If we don’t we’ll be doing what political propaganda wanted us to do, that is just conforming to everything that is portrayed. This is even more relevant today, what with social media and jaded information being spread like wildfire (I’m thinking about anti-immigration pictures for example).
Regarding the text material for this week in general (Benjamin, Adorno and Horkheimer), I found them much easier to read than the previous week’s philosophical bombshells. Other than enlightenment, they spoke of art and its footprints in time and how it portrays our perception of society. I also learned about “aura” of an art piece, it’s authenticity which is lost upon reproduction. Although reproduction also makes art available to society, spreading new ideas and sharing different perceptions.
I enjoyed reading your posts and how you drew parallels to examples from previous themes. During our seminar we also talked about the dangers of media in form of e.g. movies. In addition to what you wrote we also discussed how media only portrays what is and not what could be which is connected to deception and enlightenment. By constantly repeating a certain view of people, people are forced into repeating patterns of behavior.
ReplyDeleteI think your discussion about the mass media used to propagate politics is very brillant.It seems contradictory with the universal and objective value that media should have,however,it is reasonable that people use media for publicity and communication.As you said,we live in a information network.In some degree,every individual could be seen as a new media to process the information.We can absorb what we want and block what we refuse,then exchange with others.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI completly agree with you that there has to be a balance in how we view and percieve the world, otherwise it would really be kind of dull and static as you say! And yes, media is truly powerful. Often more so than governments, at least more influential. You have probably seen the clip but I must mention it anyhow. When Hans Rosling visits a Danish news studio and lectures him in how the world works. There he explicitly says that you cannot use media to learn about the world. Not to be blind and trust all that is said by the journalists and news anchors.
Regarding your last sentence, do you mean that a reproduction can serve the same purpose as an original? Would you say that reproductions indifferent substitues that fulfill the same need and feel despite loosing their "aura" as claimed in the texts? Might the aura only be lost to those who are truly educated and versed in art?
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your text and think you handled this week's theme from a different angle than the texts I've read so far. Very interesting! I agree that imagination shouldn't be lost in the search for science, imagination is important as well and can lead to something truly revolutionary.
I also liked your reflection on mass media and how it can be used in a political way. It is dangerous, but at the same time it can't be avoided. Everyone has the right to express themself as long as it doesn't violate our laws or human rights. But as you write, as long as we all learn to be critical to what we come across..
Keep up the good work with this course!
Nice reflection! I think that my main focus in this weeks reading was on nominalism and realism while you seem to have focused more on the "critical media studies" part. One thought that appeared while reading your reflection: is it not possible to trust any media? As long as we are being critical of sources and not just accepting everything as absolute truths, media is also a powerful way for the citizens to get information. But as you say in your text, if the media is controlled and used for propaganda, it is not really a tool for the citizens.
ReplyDeleteDid you have no problems at all understanding nominalism and realism?
Hi Ellinor,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts. I must say it is a nice reflection which I enjoyed reading. Especially liked the point that a lack of imagination caused by enlightenment would exclude room for new discoveries. In addition to your critical thoughts about media in times of fascism I found a very interesting point during the lecture that fascism spoke to the heart of the people and were hence able to motivate them in the long run in contrast to communism, which spoke to the brain.
Hi Ellinor,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts. I must say it is a nice reflection which I enjoyed reading. Especially liked the point that a lack of imagination caused by enlightenment would exclude room for new discoveries. In addition to your critical thoughts about media in times of fascism I found a very interesting point during the lecture that fascism spoke to the heart of the people and were hence able to motivate them in the long run in contrast to communism, which spoke to the brain.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI really liked you reflection in was well structured and interesting to read. I especially liked the part where you discuss mass medias role in how society thinks and how dangerous it has been and still is today! This is something that is relevant to discuss today where the older generations aren't used to criticize new information-channels and the younger generations needs to learn how to me critical to all informations sources.
Good job!
Good reflection and I think it is great that you made connections with the literature from theme 1 in your reflection. You seem to have put a lot of thought into your reflections for this theme and I agree with you that the literature for this theme was a lot easier to read and grasp than the literature for theme 1. I´d like to see more in your reflection of what you thought was difficult for this theme and what you thought of the key terms for this themes pre-seminar reflection. Did you feel like the lecture and the seminar gave you a better understanding of them or did they confirm your understanding?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you regarding the dangers of mass and social media. I think we all have a couple of friends who constantly like or share things on facebook without looking at the content critically. I personally daily see post originating from the left and right wings of the political spectrum in my feed. I decided to not block them because it is kind of amusing to do something as simple as a an image search on the pictures used in articles to see how people mislead eachother.
ReplyDeleteThe blind leads the blind...
You (that is to say: your seminar group) seems to be one of the few that have gone very far beyond merely discussing the concept of nominalism, which made it particularly thought-provoking to read. I think in an historical context, enlightenment has usually been marked as a turning point for the better within the field of science, marking the start of a rational form of decision making a doing away with all pseudo-scientific and religious influences from the outside world. Your comments on the negative side that accompany this were therefore an interesting take on the matter, although I wouldn't per se say that the 'sense of fantasy' abolished with enlightenment is the same as the scientific curiosity that could still lead to new discoveries.
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