PLATO'S ALLEGORICAL CAVE RECKONING

First, there was Socrates! Old Socs in the middle probably giving his mates his reckonings, Plato by his side getting excited Athenian style SOURCE: http://brewminate.com/from-presocratic-to-classical-greek-philosophy-a-shift-in-focus-and-methodology/

Then, an old and wise Plato with his gossip mags in hand talking with a young Aristotle, to view my reckonings of Aristot's check this previous post of mine out. SOURCE: http://hipporeads.com/plato-and-aristotle-on-the-american-state/

A coloured illustration of the allegory. SOURCE: http://brewminate.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TheCave02.jpg

I really enjoy reading Plato’s BookVII of The Allegory of the Cave, applying it to any form of modern day social norms of social media and the internet is quite fascinating as it stands symbolically with my views on what the internet is doing to us by acting as our chains to willingly but forcefully view unrealities by displaying false images and content when all one needs to do to experience real life and all that represents good is to break free from the comfortable ignorance we live in but can liberate ourselves from.

I think that can be applied perfectly to that of a video gamer too! Below I’ve created the likeness of Plato's Allegory of the Cave to the mindless consent of the video gamers.

(You can probably tell also my distaste for video gamers here, all most as much as my own chains to internet addiction)

Plato's Cave. SOURCE: https://lightnightgreekfire.wordpress.com/platos-cave/
Video Gamer. SOURCE: http://www.altmuslimah.com/2015/03/dear-salma-my-husband-is-addicted-to-video-games/ 

edited photo linking the two concepts together by yours truly.

HIDDEN FIGURES IN COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY: DR. MARK E DEAN

Computer Technology; Ohhhhh ohhh the world we’d live-in if it wasn’t for-‘em (sometimes I think much better off but that’s for an entirely different blog post) Every house hold has a computer! Every house hold has more than one! And being such a recognized house hold device there are so many hidden figures to the invention, developing processes and programming that make up the modern computer, although when we put faces to the names that shaped computer technology in history- we think Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Steven Hawking even Ashton Kutcher(?!?!) But there are many names that have been left out of the (predominantly white male) communication technologies history hall of fame.

One of which is an African American man Dr Mark E Dean. A computer scientist and engineer who worked for IBM in the 80’s (manufactures and markets computer hardware, middleware and software) Dr. Dean was instrumental in the invention of the Personal Computer (PC) and led a team that designed the ISA bus—the hardware interface that allows multiple devices like printers, modems, and keyboards to be plugged into a computer. This innovation helped pave the way for the personal computer’s use in office and business settings. Dean also helped develop the first color computer monitor, and in 1999 he led the team of programmers that created the world’s first gigahertz chip. Dr. Dean holds three of the original nine patents on the computer that all PCs are based upon.

TO READ: "THE SYSTEM OF OBJECTS" BY JEAN BAUDRILLARD

Since class last Tuesday, I have been frantically googling and oogling over the works and words of the Frenchman Jean Baudrillard. A cultural theorist, sociologist, philosopher, political commentator and photographer he is best known for his analyses of contemporary culture and media, technological communication and concepts of hyperreality. But what I’m most excited to get into are his diverse subjects on gender relations, social history, art and popular culture.

In touching on the topic of bygone objects and the romanticisation of antique technologies that leave us feeling nostalgic or moved by the presence of the past, Baudrillard’s name came into conversation and with a little bit of research a very interesting book of his called “The Consumer:Society Myths and Structures” came up.

AND IT LOOKS FANTASTIC! Especially that he wrote it in the 70’s (My favourite era to romanticize and dream (ironically) of what it was to live in a time of the glitterati, opulent establishment, the disco, the punk, to be inundated with consumerist feeding frenzies and the way media was revolutionised.

The book includes Baudrillard's most organized discussion of mass media culture, the meaning of leisure and anomie in affluent society. But alas, the book was $65(AU). And a cool sixty on a book is not something a poor student can afford as yet, so I opted for the next cheapest, ever interesting and post-modern. “The System of Objects” A cultural critique of the commodity in consumer society, which brilliantly communicates to us all the live ideas of the day.

I'll let you know what I think when it arrives! I purchased my copy on Booktopia.

ARISTOTLE: MODE OF [ONE SIDED] COMMUNICATION IS KEY

The Greek philosopher Aristotle who, I might add lived in 384-322 B.C. (So taking his great teachings with a grain of salt is much required.) Had plenty of impressive revisions under his girdle. Physics, logic, mathematics and he even tutored hotshot military-man Alexander the Great to name a few. But while in his exploration of the human nature, Aristotle developed a linear model of communication known as ~“ARISTOTLES MODE OF COMMUNICATION”~ Which was considered the first model of communication proposed before 300 B.C.

Aristotle giving Alexander the Great his reckonings

What I found interesting is even though this particular model can only be used in public speaking (As there was no concept of feedback or communication failures like noise and barriers taken into account) Aristotles Model is mainly focused on speaker and speech, and like much of his work, is vaguely divided into 5 primary elements: Speaker, Speech, Occasion, Audience and Effect.

As you can see from this BORING diagram (I tried to find something a little more exhilarating to engage in but alas, could not) Aristotles model explains a speaker centred model as the only active speaker that has the most important role of delivering speech to the passive and influenced audience. Open to many interpretations and criticisms; one of which by Shannon and Weaver, This makes the communication process which must be clear in speech with very good non-verbal communication, only one way.

Now I’m unsure about you and I’m by no means a scholar of physics, logic, human nature or mathematics and the only person I’ve successfully tutored once was a foreign student all the swear words in the English dictionary but one way communication seems a little dictator-y and propaganda-ry to me, don’t you think? But that’s just my reckoning.