Amusing Ourselves to Death Part 1 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What city does Neil Postman believe radiates the American Spirit?

Las Vegas

Why does Neil Postman say it is Las Vegas?

Las Vegas is a city entirely devoted to the idea of entertainment.

Must politicians still have complete control of their ideology, or has the focus changed to control of cosmetics?

Cosmetics

What are the two prevailing beliefs as to why entertainment has become the medium of public discourse?

It is the residue of an exhausted capitalism, or it is the tasteless fruit of the maturing capitalism. Signup and view all the answers

What did Aldous Huxley mean by the term 'Great Abbreviators'?

None of us have the wit to know the whole truth. Signup and view all the answers

What has the strongest possible influence on what ideas we can conveniently express?

An argument that fixes its attention on the forms of human conversation. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to ideas that we feel are most convenient to express?

They become the important content of a culture. Signup and view all the answers

How can the term conversation be used metaphorically?

As technologies that permit cultural message exchanges. Signup and view all the answers

Metaphorically speaking, what is the biggest type of conversation?

Culture Signup and view all the answers

What has the shift from typography to television done for our public discourse?

It has dramatically shifted the content and meaning. Signup and view all the answers

What does he believe is the best way to dissect a culture?

Attend to its tools for conversation. Signup and view all the answers

What type of influence does media have on culture?

A dominant influence on the formation of intellectual and social preoccupations. Signup and view all the answers

Culture remains the same despite being a creation of speech.

False Signup and view all the answers

What does each new medium do for a culture, similar to language?

Makes possible a unique mode of discourse. Signup and view all the answers

What does Postman say you measure a culture by?

What it claims as significant. Signup and view all the answers

What problems arise from intellectuals and critics’ urgings of television?

High cultural aspirations are dangerous from a trivial medium. Signup and view all the answers

What is epistemology?

A complex subject concerned with the origins and nature of knowledge. Signup and view all the answers

How is epistemology relevant to media and its variations?

It examines definitions of truth and their sources. Signup and view all the answers

What are ways to derive definitions of truth in regards to epistemology?

From the character of media of communication. Signup and view all the answers

What is resonance?

The way a statement acquires universal significance. Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept of truth intimately linked with?

The implicit biases of forms of expression. Signup and view all the answers

When truth is considered a kind of cultural prejudice, what is meant?

Each culture regards truth as authentically expressed in certain forms. Signup and view all the answers

When culture uses the term intelligent, what is meant by it?

It is derived from the character of its important forms of communication. Signup and view all the answers

What does intelligence boil down to?

One's capacity to grasp the truth of things. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of what a culture deems intelligent?

The power to invent compact sayings of wide applicability. Signup and view all the answers

What does Postman argue regarding changes in media and people's cognitive capacities?

A major new medium changes the structures of discourse. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

American Spirit and Las Vegas

Neil Postman identifies Las Vegas as the current city embodying the American Spirit, primarily due to its focus on entertainment.
Las Vegas symbolizes a culture where public discourse increasingly mirrors entertainment rather than serious discussion.

Control of Ideology

Political control has shifted from strict ideological management to the manipulation of outward appearance, termed "cosmetics."

The Role of Entertainment

Entertainment serves as a medium for public discourse, seen as either a byproduct of exhausted capitalism or a result of its maturation.

Aldous Huxley's "Great Abbreviators"

This term reflects the limitations of human knowledge, communication, and the skepticism of audiences’ acceptance of truth.

Influence on Ideas

Conversations shape which ideas are easy to express, leading to certain ideas becoming dominant within a culture.

Metaphorical Use of Conversation

"Conversation" can refer to the technologies that facilitate message exchanges within a culture.

Cultural Discourse

The most significant form of conversation is culture itself, expressed through diverse symbolic modalities.

Shift from Typography to Television

The transition to television has fundamentally altered public discourse, as different media cater to different ideas and expressions.

Tools for Dissecting Culture

Analyzing a culture's tools for conversation offers the best insight into its underlying values and beliefs.

Media's Dominant Influence

Communication media exert substantial influence on intellectual and social priorities within a culture.

Evolution of Culture

Although culture originates from speech, it is continually reshaped by the communication medium used.

Unique Modes of Discourse

Each new medium provides fresh frameworks for thought, expression, and sensibility within a culture.

Measuring Cultural Significance

The measure of a culture should focus on what it deems significant rather than its trivial outputs.

Challenges of High Cultural Aspirations

Intellectuals and critics face risks when elevating trivial media, as it may misrepresent the importance of cultural conversations.

Understanding Epistemology

Epistemology explores knowledge origins and nature, linking closely to media and their interpretations of truth.

Deriving Truth Definitions

Definitions of truth can be influenced by the characteristics of the communication media utilized.

Resonance of Statements

Resonance captures how specific statements gain universal relevance within particular contexts.

Cultural Prejudice and Truth

Different cultures may view authenticity in truth through unique symbolic expressions that others could deem insignificant.

Intelligence in Cultural Context

The meaning of intelligence is derived from a culture’s primary communication forms, reflecting its values.

Definition of Intelligence

Intelligence can be seen as one’s ability to comprehend the essence or truth of subjects.

Cultural Examples of Intelligence

In oral cultures, intelligence may be exemplified by the ability to create succinct and broadly applicable sayings.

Impact of Media on Cognitive Structures

Postman argues that new media alter discourse structures, encouraging specific intellectual uses and influencing perceptions of intelligence and wisdom, rather than directly changing cognitive capacities.

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Description

This quiz consists of flashcards based on Part 1 of Neil Postman's 'Amusing Ourselves to Death'. Participants will explore key concepts related to cultural commentary and the impact of entertainment on society, specifically focusing on Las Vegas as a symbol of American entertainment. Test your understanding and retention of these important ideas!