Question

A 500 word essay on McLuhan

-Determine if McLuhan used the critical perspective in his thinking in the medium is the message.

Specifically, does McLuhan:

1. Question commonly held assumptions?

2. Expand the bounds of debate?

3. Aim for the betterment of society?

Is McLuhan using the critical perspective? If so, explain how his thinking utilizes the above characteristics. If not, explain how his approach differs from the above.

To successfully complete this assignment, carefully re-read the McLuhan Playboy interview, the chapter from Understanding Media, and review the lectures on McLuhan and the critical perspective.

Answer 1

Determine if McLuhan used the critical perspective in his thinking in the medium is the message.

Yes, McLuhan used the critical perspective in his thinking. He has urged that the medium of the message is more important than the message itself. He believes that media has a great impact on the psychic and emotional aspects of society.

There are social consequences and instant changes that can be observed by the proper or improper usage of media sources. He also believed that technology is just an extension of oneself, such that phone is an extension of voice, the wheel is an extension of legs etc.,

He has urged that it is important to remain open-minded and diverse and stop becoming media puppets.

Specifically, does McLuhan:

1. Question commonly held assumptions?

Yes, he did question commonly held assumptions. A classic example of one such assumption was that people who are literate are more complex and diverse in nature.

McLuhan believed that the more literate people became the more they lost their complexity and ability to be diverse in thinking. He iterated that people became close-minded and stopped thinking outside the box and stopped pushing horizons. He also believed that there was a self-induced trance in such cases and that it was not easy to come out of it once trapped. Therefore he urged to make proper use of the media that was consumed.

2. Expand the bounds of debate?

He expands the bounds by pushing the debate further,

1. Points out how education is being influenced by media
2. Politics as such could be controlled by the medium of the message and is essentially what we are witnessing today.
3. These technological extensions that we have, they may be good or bad, but how do we stop it from taking control?
4. When he talks about cold media and hot media, he says that each of us experiences it differently. What about today? Aren't we all running towards the same things?
5. He says backward cultures are able to confront the media better, so what is the point of developing? How does this statement fall into the current worldview?

3. Aim for the betterment of society?

Yes, McLuhan does aim for the betterment of the society. He wants us to acknowledge that media is indeed a very powerful tool and we should be conscious of what we consume and what is sold. It is important to remain socially conscious especially considering that there is global consciousness involved now.

Is McLuhan using the critical perspective? If so, explain how his thinking utilizes the above characteristics. If not, explain how his approach differs from the above.

1. McLuhan's critical thinking is evident in his statement of technology being an extension of ourselves. This shows how the media shapes our society.
2. McLuhan's emphasis on the medium of the message is another example of his critical thinking.
3. He comes across as confident and trustworthy in his interview.
4. He is also to the point in his interviews and books. This shows that he is clear about what he wants to convey.
5. There is a comprehensive list of arguments for all of his arguments. This is an indicator of critical thinking.