The Wave of the Future: Understanding Marshall McLuhan

The Wave of the FutureThe Wave of the FutureUnderstanding Marshall Understanding Marshall

McLuhanMcLuhanPaul SchumannPaul Schumann

10/20/0910/20/09 Paul SchumannPaul Schumann 22

AgendaAgenda

IntroductionIntroduction ReferencesReferences PrinciplesPrinciples Literate Age EffectsLiterate Age Effects Post Literate Age EffectsPost Literate Age Effects ConclusionConclusion


AgendaAgenda



Marshall McLuhanMarshall McLuhan

1911 - 1980

Marshall McLuhanMarshall McLuhan 1933: BA, English, University 1933: BA, English, University

of Manitobaof Manitoba 1934: MA, English, UM1934: MA, English, UM 1936: BA, Trinity Hall, 1936: BA, Trinity Hall,

CambridgeCambridge 1937: Converted to 1937: Converted to

CatholicismCatholicism 1937 – 1944: Taught English, 1937 – 1944: Taught English,

Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis University 1939: Married Corinne Lewis1939: Married Corinne Lewis 1940: MA, Verbal Arts, 1940: MA, Verbal Arts,

CambridgeCambridge 1943: PhD, Cambridge1943: PhD, Cambridge


1911 - 1980

Marshall McLuhanMarshall McLuhan 1944 – 1946: Assumption 1944 – 1946: Assumption

College, Windsor, OntarioCollege, Windsor, Ontario 1946 – 1979: University of 1946 – 1979: University of

TorontoToronto– 1950: Communication and culture 1950: Communication and culture

SeminarsSeminars– 1963: Center for Culture and 1963: Center for Culture and

TechnologyTechnology

1967: Benign brain tumor1967: Benign brain tumor 1979: Stroke1979: Stroke


1911 - 1980


The WaveThe Wave

Hokusai

…the wave of the future…the wave of the future…the wave of the future…the wave of the future…Attributed to Howard Hughes in “The Aviator”

McLuhan’s WakeMcLuhan’s Wake



AgendaAgenda



ReferencesReferences The Mechanical Bride: Folklore of Industrial ManThe Mechanical Bride: Folklore of Industrial Man, Marshall McLuhan, Beacon , Marshall McLuhan, Beacon

Press, 1951Press, 1951 The Gutenberg GalaxyThe Gutenberg Galaxy, Marshall McLuhan, University of Toronto Press, 1962, Marshall McLuhan, University of Toronto Press, 1962 Understanding Media: The Extensions of ManUnderstanding Media: The Extensions of Man, Marshal McLuhan (McGraw-Hill: , Marshal McLuhan (McGraw-Hill:

1964; MIT Press: 1994)1964; MIT Press: 1994) The Medium is the MassageThe Medium is the Massage, Marshall McLuhan & Quentin Fiore, Jerome Agel, 1967, Marshall McLuhan & Quentin Fiore, Jerome Agel, 1967 ““The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan”, The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan”, PlayboyPlayboy, 1969, 1969 Four Causes of RealityFour Causes of Reality, William Crews, Philosophical Library, 1969, William Crews, Philosophical Library, 1969 Culture is Our BusinessCulture is Our Business, Marshall McLuhan, Ballantine Books, 1972, Marshall McLuhan, Ballantine Books, 1972 Media: The Second GodMedia: The Second God, Tony Schwartz, Random House, 1981, Tony Schwartz, Random House, 1981 The Alphabet EffectThe Alphabet Effect, Robert Logan, William Morrow & Co., 1986, Robert Logan, William Morrow & Co., 1986 Laws of Media: The New ScienceLaws of Media: The New Science, Marshal and Eric McLuhan, University of Toronto , Marshal and Eric McLuhan, University of Toronto

Press, 1988Press, 1988 The Global VillageThe Global Village, Marshall McLuhan & Bruce Powers, Oxford University Press, 1989, Marshall McLuhan & Bruce Powers, Oxford University Press, 1989 Essential McLuhanEssential McLuhan, Edited by Eric McLuhan and Frank Zingrone, Basic Books, 1995, Edited by Eric McLuhan and Frank Zingrone, Basic Books, 1995 The Medium and the Light: Reflections on ReligionThe Medium and the Light: Reflections on Religion, Marshall McLuhan, edited by , Marshall McLuhan, edited by

Eric McLuhan & Jacek Szklarek, Stoddart, 1999Eric McLuhan & Jacek Szklarek, Stoddart, 1999 Digital McLuhan: A Guide to the Information MillenniumDigital McLuhan: A Guide to the Information Millennium, Paul Levinson, , Paul Levinson,

Routledge, 1999Routledge, 1999 ““McLuhan’s Wake”, National Film Board of Canada (video), 2002McLuhan’s Wake”, National Film Board of Canada (video), 2002 ““The Wave of the Future: From Four Causes to Four Laws or McLuhan Revisited”, Paul The Wave of the Future: From Four Causes to Four Laws or McLuhan Revisited”, Paul

Schumann, 2005, Schumann, 2005, http://incollaboration.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-wave-of-the-future-from


Other SourcesOther Sources The McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology, The McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology,

http://www.mcluhan.utoronto.ca The Media Ecology Association, The Media Ecology Association, http://www.media-ecology.org/ A Model Media Ecologist, Bob Blechman, A Model Media Ecologist, Bob Blechman,

http://robertkblechman.blogspot.com/ McLuhan & Mailer, video, McLuhan & Mailer, video,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5470443898801103219&sourceid=searchfeed

The Medium is the Massage, Marshall McLuhan Audio, The Medium is the Massage, Marshall McLuhan Audio, http://www.ubu.com/sound/mcluhan.html

Marshal McLuhan, the Man and his Message, CBC Archives, Marshal McLuhan, the Man and his Message, CBC Archives, http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainemnt/media/topics/342/

The Official Site of Marshall McLuhan, The Official Site of Marshall McLuhan, http://www.marshallmcluhan.com/http://www.marshallmcluhan.com/

Marshall McLuhan, Wikipedia, Marshall McLuhan, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan

Digital Ethnography, Michael Wesch, Kansas State University, Digital Ethnography, Michael Wesch, Kansas State University, http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/ http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/

Numerous McLuhan Videos on YouTubeNumerous McLuhan Videos on YouTube


AgendaAgenda



PrinciplesPrinciples All technologies are extensions of usAll technologies are extensions of us All media technologies are extensions of All media technologies are extensions of

our sensesour senses When our senses evolved, we had no When our senses evolved, we had no

technologytechnology Any new media technology upsets the Any new media technology upsets the

balance of our sensesbalance of our senses A change in the balance of our senses A change in the balance of our senses

alters our perception of “reality”alters our perception of “reality” We have experienced four “realities”We have experienced four “realities”


PrinciplesPrinciples All technologies are extensions of usAll technologies are extensions of us All media technologies are extensions of All media technologies are extensions of






Other ConceptsOther Concepts

The content of the new medium is the old The content of the new medium is the old mediummedium

Hot & cool mediaHot & cool media Figure & groundFigure & ground We look at the present though a rear-view We look at the present though a rear-view

mirror. We march backwards into the mirror. We march backwards into the future.future.

Global villageGlobal village Four laws of mediaFour laws of media


PrinciplesPrinciples

All technologies are extensions of usAll technologies are extensions of us All media technologies are extensions of All media technologies are extensions of






TechnologyTechnology









SensesSenses

Hearing

Sight

Smell Taste

Touch

Human


HomunculusHomunculus

Source: www.visualsunlimited.com

Homunculus model showing what the human body might look if proportioned to the extent of sensory areas of the brain.









Cycle of ChangeCycle of Change

We invent a new media technology

The new media technology

alters our sense ratios

The altered sense ratio alters our perception

The altered perception

changes the way we think

With a new way of thinking we

create new models of reality

New models of reality give rise to

new inventions

We shape our tools and tools shape us.McLuhan









Five Epochs of CommunicationFive Epochs of Communication

Primitive

Tribal

Literate

Proto Literate

Post Literate

160,000 bce 4,000 bce 2,000 bce 1850 ce


AgendaAgenda



Literate Age EffectsLiterate Age Effects FragmentationFragmentation LogicLogic Linear timeLinear time Perspective spacePerspective space HierarchiesHierarchies Cause & EffectCause & Effect Intellectual propertyIntellectual property StandardizationStandardization Mass marketMass market Loss of memoryLoss of memory SubconsciousSubconscious NationsNations


Perspective SpacePerspective Space


Literate Age EffectsLiterate Age Effects FragmentationFragmentation LogicLogic Linear timeLinear time Perspective spacePerspective space HierarchiesHierarchies Cause & EffectCause & Effect Intellectual propertyIntellectual property StandardizationStandardization Mass marketMass market Loss of memoryLoss of memory SubconsciousSubconscious NationsNations

The Four Causes of Reality

First cause: MaterialSecond cause: FormalThird cause: EfficientFourth cause: Purpose

Aristotle


AgendaAgenda



Post Literate Age EffectsPost Literate Age Effects

DecentralizationDecentralization InvolvementInvolvement BeingBeing CentricityCentricity MimesisMimesis BoundlessnessBoundlessness SimultaneitySimultaneity IndeterminacyIndeterminacy Fields (Acoustic Space)Fields (Acoustic Space)

Enhancement Obsolescence

Retrieval

Reversal


Standing WavesStanding Waves


Spontaneous Standing Wave Spontaneous Standing Wave PatternsPatterns

ComparisonComparison

Literate AgeLiterate Age– FragmentationFragmentation– LogicLogic– Linear timeLinear time– Perspective spacePerspective space– HierarchiesHierarchies– Cause & EffectCause & Effect– Intellectual propertyIntellectual property– StandardizationStandardization– Mass marketMass market– Loss of memoryLoss of memory– SubconsciousSubconscious– NationsNations

Post Literate AgePost Literate Age– DecentralizationDecentralization– InvolvementInvolvement– BeingBeing– CentricityCentricity– MimesisMimesis– BoundlessnessBoundlessness– SimultaneitySimultaneity– IndeterminacyIndeterminacy– Fields (Acoustic Space)Fields (Acoustic Space)




Retrieval

Reversal

Tetrad: ReversalTetrad: Reversal




Retrieval

Reversal

Web 2.0 as a MediumWeb 2.0 as a Medium


TetradTetrad ““What aspect of society or human life does it enhance or What aspect of society or human life does it enhance or

amplify?amplify? What aspect, in favor or high prominence before the arrival What aspect, in favor or high prominence before the arrival

of the medium in question, does it eclipse or obsolesce?of the medium in question, does it eclipse or obsolesce? What does the medium retrieve or pull back into center What does the medium retrieve or pull back into center

stage from the shadows of obsolescence?stage from the shadows of obsolescence? What does the medium reverse or flip into when it has run What does the medium reverse or flip into when it has run

its course or been developed to it’s fullest potential?”its course or been developed to it’s fullest potential?”

Paul Levinson, Paul Levinson, Digital McLuhanDigital McLuhan



AgendaAgenda

IntroductionIntroduction ReferencesReferences PrinciplesPrinciples EffectsEffects Present & FuturePresent & Future ApplicationsApplications ConclusionConclusion


The WaveThe Wave

Hokusai

…the wave of the future…the wave of the future…the wave of the future…the wave of the future…Attributed to Howard Hughes in “The Aviator”


ConclusionConclusion

AwarenessAwareness UnderstandingUnderstanding ApplicationApplication

CollaborationCommunityUse of Web 2.0 Tools


"The goal of science and the arts and of education for the next generation must be to decipher not the genetic but the perceptual code. In a global information environment, the old pattern of education in answer-finding is of no avail: one is surrounded by answers, millions of them moving and mutating at electric speed.Survival and control will depend upon the ability to probe and to question in the proper way and place. As the information that constitutes the environment is perpetually in flux, so the need is not for fixed concepts but rather for the ancient skill for reading that book, for navigating through an ever uncharted and unchartable milieu. Else we will have no more control of this technology and environment than we have of the wind and the tides.“

Marshall McLuhan, The Four Laws of Media


Paul SchumannPaul Schumann Glocal Vantage Inc.Glocal Vantage Inc. PO Box 161475, Austin, TX 78716PO Box 161475, Austin, TX 78716 512.632.6586512.632.6586 [email protected]@glocalvantage.com Twitter: innovant2003Twitter: innovant2003 IM: innovant2003 at Yahoo; IM: innovant2003 at Yahoo;

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