Michael Huemer - The Irrationality of Politics
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Re: Michael Huemer - The Irrationality of Politics
I think our current state of politics has a lot to do with what Marshall McLuhan talked about nearly 50 years ago: Tribalism. Modern media flattens the world and in doing so reduces the individual and deprives the individual of their own identity; Who am I if I am one amongst billions speaking over one another? In order to overcome this reduction on personal identity, people search out a new identity in the masses. They find small groups of like-minded people and then isolate themselves in the group, afraid to move from it because to do so would leave them alone again in a sea of interconnected billions. This is true of modern politics, "progressives" and "tea parties", but also truein any setting where people are unnaturally thrown to together in large numbers ("cliques" in schools, for example).
I highly recommend viwing the entire Centennial series. The man was a prophet. He predicted the Internet, and more namely Facebook, in the mid 50's. |
Re: Michael Huemer - The Irrationality of Politics
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Re: Michael Huemer - The Irrationality of Politics
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Think of it this way: When there is a dearth of media outlets you are basically forced to consume the ideas and messages that everyone else consumes. Now we have an infinite number of media outlets and more content than we could ever consume in multiple lifetimes (according to one paper I read: to we create in 48 hours as much content as was created from the beginning of time - 2003). This allows us to find content we identify with and interact with those that we like and agree with... and there is so much content in this limited bubble we never have to leave it... yet we are constantly aware of what those who we don't agree with are doing and lash out because they speak a language we do not understand. Their ideas threaten our identity because their ideas challenge the tribe. "We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us." More on topic: "Politics will eventually be replaced by imagery. The politician will be only too happy to abdicate in favor of his image, because the image will be much more powerful than he could ever be." |
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Don't you feel like we've grown more toward individualism than tribalism, though? I suppose they're quite relative terms. |
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THIS is AWESOMELY brain scrambling. You must view in 240p, purposefully I'm sure. On tribalism and violence: As for individualism? I think we have seen the growth in the tribe of individualists. :) |
Re: Michael Huemer - The Irrationality of Politics
I'll have to watch those this weekend.
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Re: Michael Huemer - The Irrationality of Politics
I forgot to watch. :(
Bookmarking now. :) |
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Anyway, I disagree with the idea of the rise of tribalism. I think we've seen a dramatic downturn of "tribal" communities (religious groups, clubs, etc), and the rise of divided individuals that are only connected via mediums such as the internet. |
Re: Michael Huemer - The Irrationality of Politics
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Far fetched? Watch this: Quote:
2)I think our current state of public discourse would disagree with you. We live in a world with unlimited access to more information than we could ever dream of, yet everyone seems more divided and intolerant than ever. Limited media meant that everyone consumed/shared the same information. 1 or 2 town papers, 2-3 radio stations and TV stations. Literature is a analytical activity, not a visceral one. Now we are inundated with so much information and options, no one has to consume anything that doesn't confirm their bias. Example: FoxNews and MSNBC. Even the news is carefully crafted to fit with my point of view. In the end, the other point of view isn't incorrect, they are a bad person. Also, the sheer speed of modern media has created an utter intolerance of any thoughtful discourse. Today the political news only reports one-liners and the latest gaffe or awkward phrase, disappearing within 48 hours. There is no time for influence beyond outrage and emotional response in either direction. Reason is quickly dying, and with it, tolerance. Keep in mind, I don't think this is a failure of the medium. It is a failure of humanity's response to it. I recommend reading some of his works, as they are far more in depth than these "mind expanding" videos. |
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