Taoism and McLuhan: A Media Ecology Study
Abstract
This thesis develops the idea that Taoism, an Eastern philosophy, and the discipline of media ecology are strikingly similar, and because of these similarities it is hard for the highly literate culture of the West to understand these concepts. Furthermore because of this inability to understand the principals of Taoism, and in turn media ecology, the failure to grasp the notions of Marshall McLuhan and other proponents of Media Ecology in the West arose, resulting in a dismissal and mocking of vital truths of our technologies. To accomplish this I rely mainly on the works and ideas of Marshall McLuhan in comparison to the Tao Te Ching. To achieve these objectives it is crucial to begin with an explanation of the alphabet effect. Then I move into an account of Taoism, followed by a description of media ecology. The last chapter deals with how these two disciplines relate by comparing the two philosophies based on nine categories. It is here that I will bring the overall concepts together to illustrate the relationship between media ecology and Taoism and put forth the idea that understanding one leads to understanding the other.
Subject Area
Communication
Recommended Citation
Rogers, Megan Avery, "Taoism and McLuhan: A Media Ecology Study" (2005). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI13852234.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI13852234
