Since the early twentieth century, civilization’s obsession with the moving image has helped it to go backwards instead of forwards. Because of the nature of the way moving images are proliferated especially during our present age of digital expansion, the past and the history of the past produce a cultural amnesia which creates a misperception that we are greatly ahead of our past.
Much of this is because our continuous fascination with the moving image has undermined and effaced a Modernist reasoning which had been more concerned with searching for an internal depth in objects and things which were reflected in the human being. As a result of our visual thirst for the moving image which takes us away from this, we now live in a situation void of causal reasoning which makes it very easy for very little reason, or difficult, for well-justified reasoning to exist since our thirst and addiction to the moving image has seen a spiritual shift away from the search of internal value and meaning that has been tied to our culture and cultural perceptions.
By tracing civilization’s obsession with the Classical which it had once used as a ‘steadying metaphor’ the paper attempts to explain some of the influences that have made us lose our focus on the importance of the internal and offers to explain why we are now more than ever before bereft of a focus for searching for the internal depth that exists within people, objects and things.
Table of Contents
Problems Today
Moving Images
The Classical and the Instinctive Attraction to the Idea of the Limited Whole: A Reflection of Civilisation’s Need for a Steadying Metaphor
A New Global Reflex and Steading Metaphor in the Twentieth Century
Today’s Alter-Modernism
Conclusion
Notes
Research Objectives and Themes
This work examines the impact of the digital age and the obsession with moving images on contemporary society, arguing that this fascination has led to a cultural decline in causal reasoning and a loss of focus on internal depth. The text explores how modern "Alter-Modernism" and digital ubiquity have replaced the traditional, historically-rooted search for meaning with a superficial, horizontal, and fragmented perception of reality.
- The erosion of traditional, internal-focused values by digital media.
- The historical transition from Classical metaphors to modern technological obsession.
- The role of "moving images" in conditioning and homogenizing human perception.
- The critique of "political correctness" and its contribution to superficial cultural discourse.
- The necessity of re-evaluating nature and spiritual contemplation to restore moral intelligence.
Excerpt from the Book
Problems Today
It is evidently clear that within our present era of ‘Alter-Modernism’, in contrast to the past, moving images—especially digital ones—have become far too hypnotic. While the search for an internal self reaches back to the beginning of man and had once upon a time been more concerned with a search for a hidden depth within people, objects and things, there is a shift in focus today which often sees knowledge or one’s idea of knowledge much more derived from the surface of things and the world of appearance. This is because problematically, our previous focus on, and search for the internal depth within people, objects and things seems now to have become replaced by a culture of the superficial often conveyed in the content of moving images, which now seems more generally accepted. Based upon the false assumption that technology always means total undeniable progress for all and sundry, problematically, the digital world, unlike nature, is something we have built ourselves. It is a world which has no boundaries anymore and which now is almost entirely devoid of any commonly agreed upon morals, frameworks, verifiable mainstream systems for thinking and objective contexts and recognisable ‘goal posts’ which we can aim for.
Life has become more horizontal rather than vertical, and different degrees of correctness and various points of view have become increasingly indistinguishable from one another. Boundaries previously separating high and low culture have amalgamated and morphed into being read and perceived as belonging to a single level indistinguishable from one another so that the importance of the “internal” previously directed towards the cultivation and subsequent appreciation of an internal depth within people, objects and things in society, which was once based upon measuring standards of things has now dissolved or almost dissolved.
Summary of Chapters
Problems Today: Analyzes the shift from a historical focus on internal depth to a contemporary, superficial culture driven by digital images and a lack of firm moral or logical frameworks.
Moving Images: Discusses how the proliferation of digital moving images acts as a hypnotic force that discourages causal reasoning and diminishes the "aura" of objects.
The Classical and the Instinctive Attraction to the Idea of the Limited Whole: A Reflection of Civilisation’s Need for a Steadying Metaphor: Explores the historical necessity of Classical metaphors as an anchor for societal order and the pursuit of internal meaning.
A New Global Reflex and Steading Metaphor in the Twentieth Century: Examines how technological innovations in the 20th century, particularly cinema, began to erode the traditional distance required for critical and contemplative thought.
Today’s Alter-Modernism: Critiques the current era as a heterogeneous muddle of superficial appropriation, where political correctness and digital flux mask a lack of true depth.
Conclusion: Synthesizes the argument, proposing that society must look toward nature and spiritual contemplation to rebuild moral intelligence in the face of digital enslavement.
Notes: Provides comprehensive citations and academic references supporting the text's theoretical arguments.
Keywords
Alter-Modernism, Moving Images, Internal Depth, Digital Logic, Causal Reasoning, Classical Metaphor, Modernism, Superficiality, Cultural Amnesia, Political Correctness, Technology, Mass Production, Identity, Horizontalism, Moral Intelligence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this work?
The work investigates how the modern obsession with digital moving images has eroded the human capacity for deep, internal reflection and causal reasoning, creating a shallow "Alter-Modern" culture.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the dissolution of historical boundaries, the impact of technological reproduction on the "aura" of art, the homogenization of culture, and the necessity of reclaiming spiritual and internal values.
What is the main research objective?
The primary goal is to trace the history of civilization’s search for internal depth and to explain why, in the contemporary digital era, we have largely abandoned this pursuit in favor of superficial, "horizontal" existence.
Which scientific or theoretical methods are employed?
The author uses historical analysis, media theory (referencing Benjamin and McLuhan), and philosophical critique to map the progression from Classical ideals to the present-day digital environment.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body traverses the historical role of Classical metaphors, the rise of industrial and digital image reproduction, the effects of "horizontal" cultural standardization, and the critique of modern political discourse.
Which keywords define this work?
Core keywords include Alter-Modernism, Internal Depth, Causal Reasoning, Digital Logic, and Cultural Amnesia.
How does the author define the term "horizontalism"?
The author uses "horizontalism" to describe a state of cultural flatness where everything is perceived on a single, undifferentiated level, leading to a loss of nuance and hierarchy.
What role does "political correctness" play in the author's analysis?
The author argues that political correctness acts as a form of "brainwashing" that masks hierarchical power structures and forces individuals into a superficial, standardized mode of thinking.
Does the author see a solution to the crisis described?
Yes, the author suggests that the resolution lies in a return to nature, a stronger focus on spiritual contemplation, and the rebuilding of moral intelligence through a deeper connection to the "internal self."
- Citar trabajo
- Cyrus Manasseh (Autor), 2016, The Problem with the Influence of the Moving Image in Society Today, the Alter-Modern and the Disappearance of a Focus on the Internal, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/316246
