Language Postman example essay topic

Building a Bridge to the Eighteenth Century By: NeilPostmanNeil Postman identifies himself as a "neo-Luddite". What bothers Postman most is the fact that the great innovators of this time have no frame of reference other than their own experience, and that experience is only that of the 20th century. Advocates of trends such as information superhighways and economic globalization appear to know nothing of history, philosophy and culture; they live digitally in the hollow present. Postman assesses different ideas in each chapter: Chapter One: A Bridge to the Eighteenth Century Postman heralds the accomplishments of personalities of the 18th Century, including Goethe, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Kant, Hume, Gibbon, Paine, Jefferson, Franklin, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and Haydn, among many others. Chapter Two: Progress Postman summarizes, "The idea of progress is a product of the Enlightenment. The eighteenth century invented it... but it also criticized and doubted it and its limitations and pitfalls.

Reason, when unaided and untempered by poetic insight and human feeling, turns ugly and dangerous. Chapter Three: Technology When assessing various technological advancements, Postman encourages the reader to be question, "Whatis the problem to which this technology is a solution?"Whose problem is it?"Which people and institutions might be most seriously harmed by a technological solution?" and finally, "What new problems may be created because we have solved this problem?" Chapter Four: Language Postman stresses that the "medium is the message" in this chapter. He examines the perspectives which our language forces us to view situations from and alerts the reader that our language creates an invisible bias in our thinking. Chapter Five: Information "Information" is a relatively modern noun, and Postman argues that if one searches hundreds of eighteenth century indexes for the term he will not find a listing for it, even though much information and knowledge was gained during the enlightenment.

Postman warns against viewing information as a secular entity that is not involved in a larger context of wisdom, knowledge, and purpose. Chapter Six: Narratives Postman states that the narratives of the 20th and 21st centuries should not cause us to view prior narratives and philosophies in a derogatory or condescending light. Quoting Niels Bohr, Postman writes, "The opposite of a correct statement is an incorrect statement. The opposite of a profound truth is another profound truth". Postman says that we should consider the values of other cultures' and eras' vision of Truth to make true progress and attain true wisdom. Chapter Seven: Children Postman stresses the importance of a childhood, a concept that Postman thinks is disappearing from our culture.

Chapter Eight: Democracy Basically reiterating some themes from his chapter on language and also highlighting the works of Rousseau and Tocqueville, Postman emphasizes that we should acknowledge that democracy is an idea that is ever-changing. He also examines the effects of TV and other technological advances on the public's view of democracy. Chapter Nine: Education Postman criticizes modern American concepts of education, claiming that the "facts", "history", and " critical thinking" that is encouraged in schools does not allow for our children to be fully educated. Postman offers five suggestions for a complete reform of American schools, including courses in questioning, scientific outlook, language, technology education, and religion. Colleen's Response Postman provided a very well argued and clear contention for the return to a more simple, and consequently, more fulfilling society. His details and examples were very poignant and relevant to our culture.

Although initially his position seemed farfetched since I wondered how society could "digress", I appreciate that he practices what he preaches. Postman writes, "I write my books with pen and paper, because I have always done it that way and enjoy doing so. I do not have a computer. The Internet strikes me as a mere distraction. I do not have voice mail orc all-waiting, both of which I regard as uncivil. Have access to a fax machine, but I control my use of it.

Snail mail is adequate for my correspondence, andI do not like the sense of urgency that faxes suggest. My car has cruise control, but I have never used it since I do not find keeping my foot on the gas pedal a problem". Postman offers a refreshing and optimistic view that criticizes society while giving reasonable suggestions on how to improve it.