Roadmap 1_Philosophy; Theory; Method
Thinking and historical reality are in constant exchange, there are no absolute beginnings or
complete endings even if there are breaks and ruptures
What Media Theory Is (What Media theory explores)
- How media forms work
- How meaning is created
- How humans relate to media
- How media shapes perception, society, and knowledge
It is deeply connected to philosophy, which provides the conceptual tools for thinking about
reality, value, and knowledge.
Philosophy as the groundwork
Media theory has emerged since the beginning of the 20th century when media gained an
ever increasing place in our lives. It has many of its roots in ancient Greek philosophy.
- The fundamental study of the nature of Reality (metaphysics); Value (axiology);
Knowledge (epistemology), In other words, philosophy develops critical questions
and guiding thoughts that help us understand the nature of reality, value and
knowledge
- Usually the questions that are posed by philosophy are big problems and abstract
questions
- The aim of philosophy is not to provide conclusive answers, but to offer tools to think
and to argue in logical ways that help us understand the world, others and ourselves.
Metaphysics (What is real?)形而上学
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave 柏拉图的洞穴寓言
- Humans mistake shadows for reality.
- In media studies, this inspired Apparatus Theory （装置理论）: the cinema spectator
as someone watching projected “shadows.”看电影就像看影子：研究观众，屏幕和现
实之间的关系
Ontology 本体论
- Is the study of what something fundamentally is. 一样东西最根本的本质是什么？
- Examples in media:
1. Bazin: The ontology of photography is realism — a direct imprint of reality.
真实
2. Antonioni’s Blow-Up: Questions whether photography can reveal truth.
3. McLuhan: TV’s essence is global connectivity (“global village”).
4. Kittler: Computers reduce everything to data (0s and 1s).
, Axiology: (What is right or valuable→Aesthetics & Ethics)价值学
Aesthetics (What is beautiful?)
- Plato: Art is a copy of a copy 艺术是影子的影子 — low value.不值钱
- Aristotle: Art has emotional and moral value (catharsis).
- Hume: Beauty is a matter of cultivated taste.
- Kant: Beauty is an inherent property of the artwork.
→ Example:
● Picasso’s Guernica
- Kantian view: inherent formal qualities (style, composition).
- Humean view: appreciation deepens with historical/contextual
knowledge.
- Media aesthetics includes:
● Narrative
● Mise-en-scène
● Camera work
● Editing
● Sound
Ethics (What is good?)
- Aristotle: Virtue as moderation.
- Kant: Morality depends on intention and free choice.看意图
- Nietzsche: Nihilism — life has no inherent meaning.世界没有意义，人要自己创造
意义
→ Media examples:
● A Clockwork Orange: Kantian dilemma of free will vs forced goodness. 自由
做坏事还是被迫做好事
● American Psycho: Nihilism in modern capitalist life.
● Black Mirror: “Medialized nihilism” — technology draining meaning. 科技让
人迷失，生活变得空洞
- Ethical issues in media:
● Journalism & documentary responsibility：记者拍摄灾难时要不要估计被拍
的人
● Data ethics (Google, Facebook)
● Privacy
● Research ethics
Epistemology: How Do We Know? 认知论
Knowledge = justified true belief.
- What exactly constitutes "knowledge"?
● Three conditions must be met:
Thinking and historical reality are in constant exchange, there are no absolute beginnings or
complete endings even if there are breaks and ruptures
What Media Theory Is (What Media theory explores)
- How media forms work
- How meaning is created
- How humans relate to media
- How media shapes perception, society, and knowledge
It is deeply connected to philosophy, which provides the conceptual tools for thinking about
reality, value, and knowledge.
Philosophy as the groundwork
Media theory has emerged since the beginning of the 20th century when media gained an
ever increasing place in our lives. It has many of its roots in ancient Greek philosophy.
- The fundamental study of the nature of Reality (metaphysics); Value (axiology);
Knowledge (epistemology), In other words, philosophy develops critical questions
and guiding thoughts that help us understand the nature of reality, value and
knowledge
- Usually the questions that are posed by philosophy are big problems and abstract
questions
- The aim of philosophy is not to provide conclusive answers, but to offer tools to think
and to argue in logical ways that help us understand the world, others and ourselves.
Metaphysics (What is real?)形而上学
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave 柏拉图的洞穴寓言
- Humans mistake shadows for reality.
- In media studies, this inspired Apparatus Theory （装置理论）: the cinema spectator
as someone watching projected “shadows.”看电影就像看影子：研究观众，屏幕和现
实之间的关系
Ontology 本体论
- Is the study of what something fundamentally is. 一样东西最根本的本质是什么？
- Examples in media:
1. Bazin: The ontology of photography is realism — a direct imprint of reality.
真实
2. Antonioni’s Blow-Up: Questions whether photography can reveal truth.
3. McLuhan: TV’s essence is global connectivity (“global village”).
4. Kittler: Computers reduce everything to data (0s and 1s).
, Axiology: (What is right or valuable→Aesthetics & Ethics)价值学
Aesthetics (What is beautiful?)
- Plato: Art is a copy of a copy 艺术是影子的影子 — low value.不值钱
- Aristotle: Art has emotional and moral value (catharsis).
- Hume: Beauty is a matter of cultivated taste.
- Kant: Beauty is an inherent property of the artwork.
→ Example:
● Picasso’s Guernica
- Kantian view: inherent formal qualities (style, composition).
- Humean view: appreciation deepens with historical/contextual
knowledge.
- Media aesthetics includes:
● Narrative
● Mise-en-scène
● Camera work
● Editing
● Sound
Ethics (What is good?)
- Aristotle: Virtue as moderation.
- Kant: Morality depends on intention and free choice.看意图
- Nietzsche: Nihilism — life has no inherent meaning.世界没有意义，人要自己创造
意义
→ Media examples:
● A Clockwork Orange: Kantian dilemma of free will vs forced goodness. 自由
做坏事还是被迫做好事
● American Psycho: Nihilism in modern capitalist life.
● Black Mirror: “Medialized nihilism” — technology draining meaning. 科技让
人迷失，生活变得空洞
- Ethical issues in media:
● Journalism & documentary responsibility：记者拍摄灾难时要不要估计被拍
的人
● Data ethics (Google, Facebook)
● Privacy
● Research ethics
Epistemology: How Do We Know? 认知论
Knowledge = justified true belief.
- What exactly constitutes "knowledge"?
● Three conditions must be met:
