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Core Assumptions
Amusing Ourselves to Death Neil Postman
Here are some of Neil Postman's arguments and assumptions. They are just that, arguments and assumptions. We can debate the truth and falsity of his claims, accept some and reject others, but his arguments and assumptions are difficult to ignore
POSTMAN'S CENTRAL THESIS IN AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH ...
IN A NUTSHELL
"The state of affairs which indeed is equalled nowhere else in the world can properly be called mass culture; its promoters are neither the masses not their entertainers, but are those who try to entertain the masses with what once was an authentic object of culture, or to persuade them that "Hamlet if can be as entertaining as "My Fair Lady".
The danger of mass education is precisely that it may become very entertaining indeed; there are may great authors of the past who have survived centuries of oblivion and neglect but it is still an open question whether they will be able to survive an entertaining version of what they have to say.
Hannah Arendt
"Society and Culture" In The Human Dialogue
1. Substitute the word RELIGION For the Word HAMLET
Substitute the words "GREAT RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS" For The Words GREAT AUTHORS OF THE PAST:
2. Substitute The Word LEARNING For The Word HAMLET
Substitute The Words MURPHY BROWN For The Words MY FAIR LADY
3. Substitute The Word HISTORIANS
For the word GREAT AUTHORS OF THE PAST
4. Substitute The Word "THE NEWS" For the Word HAMLET
Substitute The Words ACTION-ADVENTURE FILM For The Words MY FAIR LADY
CORE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT TELEVISION
1. The primary functions of television is to delivery audiences to advertisers.
2. Competition for audiences leads to fast-paced visually dynamic programs with an emphasis on interesting images rather than serious content.
3. As audiences come to expect fast paced visually exciting programs they will find issue-oriented public affairs and news programs dull.
4. To compete with entertainment programs news and public affairs programs will become more visual and personality-oriented.
5. This results in a decline of the public's capacity to understand and discuss events and issues in a serious way.
6. As television draws advertisers always from newspapers and magazines, some will go out of business, others will change their format and style to match the style of thought promoted by television, resulting in less substantive and less complex writing.
7. Aliteracy (those who can read but who chose not to) will increase, and there is likely to be a corresponding, decline in readers analytical and critical skills.
8. As the population becomes accustomed to spending most of its time watching television, television will begin to significantly influence our important culture institutions: the family; the school, the church, and the nature of the political process.
Core Questions In Amusing Ourselves To Death
1. What is information?
2. What are the various forms that information take in a culture?
3. What conceptions of intelligence does a form of information transmission or mode of discourse require?
4. Why style of learning does a particular form of information transmission insist upon?
5. What kind of information best facilitates thinking?
6. Is there a moral bias to each information form?
7. How do new sources, speeds, contexts, and forms of information transmission redefine . important cultural meanings?
8. For example, does television give new meaning to concepts such as "patriotism" or "privacy,'
9. For example does television give new meaning to concepts such as "marriage", "commitment", toparenting"?
10. For example does television give new meaning to concepts such as "learning"?
11. Does television change the nature of what it means to make an "evaluation" or "judgement"?
12. Does television change the nature of what it means to "understand" or the concept of "understanding"?
13. How does television change our conception of news, political debate, and religious thought.
14. How do different information forms persuade and exert influence?
15. Is a newspapers "public" different from a televisions "public"?
16. How do different information forms dictate the type of content that is expressed.
17. Does a technology like the computer help solve the problems which most people have to deal with?
18. Does a technology like the computer have as many costs as benefits?
19. Is the principle problem we confront in solving our problems insufficient data? 20. How can we become more media-conscious?
21. How can education be used as a tool to understand and control our technological mediums of communication?
