Heidegger and the Media

Description

Heidegger and the Media, authored by David J. Gunkel and Paul A. Taylor, offers a thought-provoking and comprehensive examination of Martin Heidegger’s philosophy in relation to contemporary media theory and communication studies. In this groundbreaking work, the authors bridge the gap between Heidegger’s dense and often challenging philosophical concepts and the rapidly evolving landscape of modern media technologies. They argue that Heidegger’s analysis of technology, particularly his notion of Enframing (Gestell), offers a profound critique of how modern media shapes, limits, and structures human understanding and experience in the digital age. Gunkel and Taylor explore how Heidegger’s ideas about Being, truth, and technology can be applied to critically engage with issues such as digital communication, social media, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. The book carefully navigates Heidegger’s controversial history while demonstrating the continuing relevance of his thought for addressing ethical and ontological concerns in the media-saturated world. By situating Heidegger within media studies, the authors offer new perspectives on how media technologies mediate human existence, transform relationships, and potentially alienate individuals from more authentic ways of Being. They also explore the concept of the event (Ereignis), suggesting that Heidegger provides tools to think about media not merely as channels of transmission but as spaces where revealing and concealing take place. Heidegger and the Media thus becomes a vital resource for scholars and students interested in philosophy of technology, media theory, and communication studies, inviting readers to rethink the relationship between humans and their technological environments through a Heideggerian lens.