搜索
i.ABriefIntroductionofAmusingOurselvestoDeathThereisasubtitlePublicDiscourseintheAgeofShowBusinessfollowingthetitleAmusingOurselvestoDeathintheoriginalbook,theadditionofwhichconstitutesthecompletetitle(Chineseversionhasremovedthesubtitle).BoltzmannstartswithOrwell'sandHuxley'spredictions,namelythetwowaysofthedestructionofculture.whetherculturewillbecomearealityratherthantheformer.ThenheputsforwardhisbasicthoughtMediaareMetaphor,whichmeansthatmediaisakindofdiscoursestructure,anditistheformdecidesthecontentinourreallife,nottheotherwayaround.ThenBoltzmanntellspeoplethatAmericanwasonceasocietywhereprintcouldflowfreelyineachclassandineveryfieldwithagreatnumberofexamples.Intheenvironmentwherepapermediapervade,peoplearerational,logicalandmoreserious.Butnowadays,AmericansocietyisoccupiedbyTVsets.Theinventionoftelevisionhasthetendencyofdestroyingourculture.Withtelevisionbeingtheelectronicmedia,thespreadcontentofoursocietyisincoherenceandlackingofcontext,soissimple,short,trivialandentertaining.AoentertainmentismoreandmoreinfiltratingintoeverycorneroftheAmericansociety,includingpolitics,education,religion,etc,thusdeconstructingtheAmericanpublicdiscourse.Forallofthis,asBoltzmannpointsoutthat,itisOKwithtelevisionandentertainmentitselfbuttheproblemliesinthatthoseso-calledelitesaretryingtoendowTVwithearnestnessandloftlessbecausetheessenceofTVisentertainment.PeoplecomeoutoftheInterpretationageandintotheEntertainmentera.Junkinformationpoursinoutdailylifeatanunprecedentedspeed.Therefore,Boltzmannoutsforwardhissolution-relyonschooleducationattheendofhisbook.ii.ReflectiononAmusingOurselvestoDeathJustasPlatoputit,theformofconversationofhumanhasasignificantimpactonthethoughtexpressed.Inmanycases,aword'scredibilityliesinthecredibilityofthetoneitissaid.Thecompetitionofthoughts(peopleunderstandingsbuttheillusorytruth)toacertaindegreeisalsothecompetitionofmedia.Atthebeginningofhumansociety,itisthemovementthatconveystheinformation;beforetheinventionofwriting,oralcommunicationisaveryimportantindex;whenprintingcameintothewordlater,wordsaremostreliable;butinasocietyoftelegraph,televisionandnetwork,inwhatwaywillpeopletalktoeachother?SincetheinventionoftheTVsets,therewasalarge-scaleactivityrefusingtheuseofTV.Andmostironically,thebiggestmediumpropagatingtheactivityistheTVitself.Inotherwords,peopleopposedtheuseofTVsetsviawatchingTVprograms.Thiskindofpropagationissoweakbecauseitisclearthattowhomthewordstoolbelongs.Itisnecessaryandvaluablefortheexistenceofentertainment,soisTVitself.ButiftheentertainmentandTVhaveoccupiedtherightofpublicdiscourseandculturesociety,thensereallyshoulddosomethingforoursurvivalbeforesufferingfromthepainofbecomingnotknowwhyIlaughandceasethinking.But,inthepercent,televisionandnetworkhavebeenwidelyacceptedandheldtherightofpublicdiscoursetosomeextent.Obviously,thistwokindsofmediahavetheessenceofentertainment.Inthatcase,mypersonalwisdomcan'tgobeyondBoltzmann's.Perhaps,wecanonlymaintainouralertnessinculturethroughstrengtheningschoolmediaconsciousnesseducationandlisteningtoBoltzmann'swarningtokeepatthesametime.iii.ConclusionNowadays,corruptionintheCommunistPartyofChinaisaheatedtopicamongallranksofpeople.Peoplecriticizethecommunistsevenatthecostoftheirlives.Manystudentsdeclarethemselvestobeyoungcynicnottoobeyregulationsandmaketroubleanywhereastheyplease.ButIdon'tthinkitiswise.Actually,wearelivinginanenvironmentfulloftemptations.Wearelivinginanentertainingworld.Itispeople'sinstincttoaddicthimselfinfeastingandrevelryunconsciously.Asyoucansee,somecommunistsarelostintheirpursuitofmoneyandstatus;someteachersleavetheirrealobligationsofteachingandresearchingbehindandareonlycrazyaboutreputation;tonamejustafew.Thisindicatesthatsomepeoplehaveforgottentheirpositioninoursociety.Theydon'tknowwhotheyare.Theyarelost.Itisofnousecriticizingthemorparadingyourselvesasbeingdifferent.Whatwehavetodoispositionourselvescorrectlyanddowhatweshoulddo.Otherwise,wewillonlyaddtothecomplexityanddisorderinoursociety.