Postman Ch. 4-6

Given Postman’s “social experiment” and his view that technology means you have no foundation of disbelief, what do you think of his use of inflammatory rhetoric?

First, I found it interesting that Postman may have a sense of humor conducting his experiments on colleagues. The experiments were based on the premise that people will believe anything or not total disbelief. I think it also may have been that people wanted to believe him and trusted him. I wonder how many times he may have pulled this experiment and wonder if he gained a reputation as a blow hard jokester. I also found it somewhat amusing that he mentions Mencken’s ideal that “there is no idea so stupid that you can’t find a professor who will believe it”. I did feel insulted by his experiment and assertions that people will believe anything. I, myself, do not believe anything but rather want someone to prove it. I don’t feel that technological advances in what Postman calls a technopoly results in societal knowledge for what is believable and beyond belief.

Postman continues his rant to propose that “progress” had led to the decline of the Bible. I am a firm Christian and look to the Bible for spiritual guidance and wisdom, however I do not believe the Bible will provide all answers to all fundamental and practical questions. I do not feel that technological progress can be blamed for a decline in morals or beliefs, consequently the Bible records battles and confrontation during the times in which it was recorded.

Postman postulates that information is the mean and end of human creativity. He assert that “information’” is an “enemy” and is dangerous. He then claims how innovations attempted to control information through books and the creation of schools. Eventually the inventions of the telegraph and photography gave news and media control. Later came the broadcasting and computers with unforeseen amounts of information. Postman claims society’s gluttonous desire for information will lead to self-destruction. I agree that too much of anything is not good, however I also feel that knowledge is power.

Discuss Postman’s assertion that an uncontrolled supply of information causes a breakdown in psychic tranquility and social purpose.

Postman continues to support his theory that technology increases the information supply to eventually breakdown the psychic tranquility and social purpose. This is a result of a lack of defense from the on slot of information yielding meaningless experiences, memories or imaginations. Thus, society needs protection in the form of institutions. As in Ch. 4, Postman refers to schools as a means of controlling information. This is done through the guise of curriculum. I understand what Postman is saying and actually agree that curriculum governs what is taught and covered in schools. However, I believe that this is necessary and important. I believe that information needs structure and organization. I think that Postman believes this too.

In addition to schools, Postman states that courts of law, the family and political parties serve to regulate information and provide a defense for society stating that these “bureaucracies” oversimplify information by organizing, weighting and excluding information. He proposes that the most imposing institutions are religion and state. I would agree with Postman on this point. He then loses my support and ‘ruffles my feathers’ by comparing the Bible to myths and stories. I understand the philosophical stance he may be taking in talking, as I believe other religions based on stories.

I agree with Postman that religion can restrict and control the information of its loyal followers. He theorizes this is done due to the meaning, clarity and the belief of moral authority. I do not like the idea or reading Postman’s writing that the Bible is theory. Postman did state that he was only trying to make the point that religious traditions were simply a means to regulate and give value to information of its followers. My religious beliefs do dictate the information that I consume and seek. There are television shows I choose not watch, music I choose not to listen and books I do not choose to read. I vote according to my faith and acknowledge that my faith does guide and give a structure to information I am exposed too.

Postman believes that bureaucracy is Technopoly’s sovereignty over society. It both solves and creates problems. They are dangerous and help control information. The second means of control for Technopoly is expertise. I would agree that there seems to be an expert for everything. I do not think that having a certain expertise (wealth of information about a particular field) is a bad thing. If I have brain surgery, I would want a neurosurgeon (an expert in the field).

Postman uses the rise in import of medical technology as an example of the evils of technopoly. Discuss this and do you think it is true? Is it the technology? Is it the culture? Is it something else?

Postman begins Ch. 6 discussing the HAGOTH, a type of lie detector. I had the pleasure of experiencing a lie-detector test as part of the screening process for Lexington police department. I passed and was asked to report to training but could not move away from home. Postman states that machines eliminate the complexity, doubt or ambiguity and are merely objective.

Technological advances, especially machines the iPad, may captivated and leave us awestruck at what it is able to perform. The magical spell is cast over us and we open our wallets. Postman focuses his attention on medical technology. He theorizes that American doctors are aggressive and controlled by technology. He feels that technological advances has hurt the medical professional culture by placing patient input on the back burner and relying on technology to diagnose ailments.

I, personally, do not support or agree with Postman. I think the technological advances, like the stethoscope, were extremely important and beneficial. These advances provided improved patient care and aided in treatment. I do not feel the medical profession has suffered or experienced negative ramifications from the technology. Postman mentions that some doctors may perform tests or procedures that are unnecessary and dangerous. However, patients ask for procedures, such as plastic surgery, for personal not medical reasons. We live in a culture in which citizens sue for malpractice and pharmaceutical companies push drugs on patients. I don’t think technology is guiding doctors. Machines and medicines are just tools doctors’ use in treating patients.