Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man by Marshall McLuhan

These flashcards cover key concepts from Marshall McLuhan's 'Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man', focusing on the evolution of communication, literacy, and technology.

The Spoken Word

Involves all senses and allows for emotional reactions in communication.

Literate Society

A society that develops the power of acting with detachment due to reliance on writing.

Language

An extension of human faculties that enables easier movement between ideas but can diminish intuitive awareness.

Phonetic Alphabet

A writing system that diminishes the role of other senses in literate cultures.

Tribal Man vs. Literate Man

The transition from a socially connected tribal existence to an individual, detached identity due to literacy.

Impact of Printing

Changed learning, marketing, and established new societal norms through the mass production of texts.

Typography

The mechanization of the craft of printing that influenced cultural shifts and facilitated nationalism.

Organic Unity

A concept where the interconnectedness of society resembles the functioning of a central nervous system.

Automation

The process of using technology to perform tasks with reduced human intervention, promoting global interconnectivity.

Feedback

A loop of information that enhances the connection between machines and their environment, improving processes.