Messianismus und Wissenschaft bei Marshall Mcluhan

Abstract

Das Phänomen Marshall McLuhan muß in einer Gesamtkonstellation von sozialpsychologisch relevanten Erwartungsextremen bezüglich der Massenmedien und kräftig ideologisierter Diskussion über sie, bei gesamthaft ständigem Anwachsen ihrer Produktion und ihres Konsums gesehen werden. Nur so werden etwa der weltweite Widerhall auf die Thesen dieses katholischen Kanadiers zur Massenkommunikation, sein spektakulärer Erfolg in gewissen Kreisen wie auch seine eindeutige Ablehnung durch andere, z. B. wissenschaftlich im gleichen Spezialgebiet Tätiget, der gedankliche und kommunikative Gestus seines immer entschlossener zur universellen Gesamtschau sich ausweitenden Werkes und der Anspruch, der dahinter steht, einigermaßen verständlich. (...)

English

Canadian Marshall McLuhan's book on mass media is in a dass by itself by reason of
its claims, its content, its form, and its success. Starting from a very broad analogy of
organism, he proceeds to define the basic tenets of mass media as the protagonists in
world history. Gutenberg's invention, for example, is supposed to have been instrumental in the last analysis in bringing about nationalism as well as the bureaucratic and specialized structure of industrial society - whilst modern electronic media, according to Mc Luhan's opinion, are rendering this development absolescent in today's new-old society. He bolsters these theses with an epistemology which he regards as ideal in both time and object and with which he counters the false epistemology upheld by the social sciences. And withal, he disseminates these ideas with the conviction of a missionary. McLuhan's doctrine and claims are perceptibly messianic rather than scientific. His justification for them is rather metaphysical, his claims to truth decidedly absolute, his methods basically political. Science on the other hand, being organized skepticism, conjures up erroneous hypotheses under the guise of rigid standards of control and comes up with no decisive judgements. Consequently it can serve only to discuss the usefulness
of McLuhan's message as a means for actuating his metaphysical claims. Because of this McLuhan's christian sense of responsibility, by which his work is motivated, possesses a validity not for existing facts but for a Utopia. To serve that end he recommends a code of conduct that goes counter to industrial society.