Marshall Mcluhan's Understanding Media

Authors

  • Sing-Nan Fen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/jet.v3i3.43577

Abstract

Understanding Media was published in 1964. Its content could be summarized in McLuhan's own words: It explores the contours of our own extended beings in our technologies, seeking the principle of intelligibility in each of them. In the full confidence that it is possible to win an understanding of these forms that will bring them into orderly service, I have looked at them anew, accepting very little of the conventional wisdom concerning them. One can say of media as Robert Theobald has said of economic depressions: 'There is one additional factor that has helped to control depressions, and that is a better understanding of their development.' Examination of the origin and development of the individual extensions of man should be preceded by a look at some general aspects of the media, or extensions of man, beginning with the never explained numbness that each extension brings about in the individual.   

Published

2018-05-10

Issue

Section

Articles