The mess
Most of Bernard Keane's book is devoted to the current political and cultural 'mess' that Australian liberal democracy is finding itself in during this transitional period of history. Due to the reach of globalisation and the influence of the internet the rest of the world is also mired in one way or another. Some of my previous book reviews have addressed these cultural issues that have arisen over the last couple of decades so I will focus more on Keane's last couple of chapters where he examines some of the underlying ideas and meanings that have filtered through Western thought, particularly in relation to the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment.
Emotion versus reason
Keane believes that Western modernity emphasised the role of the individual and there has been a long tradition of using scientific reasoning since the Enlightenment. He goes on to say that the Reformation was probably the most important movement in Western civilisation as it focussed on the direct relationship between man and God. It overturned the idea that we need a priest as an intermediary but, instead, places the responsibility for the important decisions on the individual (see previous blog: Inventing the Individual). As a consequence, individualism was embedded into the "very fabric of European life" and gave impetus to Democracy and individual creativity. The Enlightenment took reason and science to a new level but in so doing it made the error of separating its foundation of faith from reason. The danger is that reason without faith can lead to a mechanistic and materialistic world devoid of human feeling.
Rousseau and the rise of emotion
Keane claimed that the French philosopher, Rousseau thought that mankind would be far better off without reason. This view was essentially anti-Enlightenment because, instead of celebrating reason, Rousseau believed that the path to knowledge was through examining one's own feelings. Rousseau's philosophy of suppressing reason in the name of the emotional truth of the masses places him at the start of an intellectual tradition that leads deep into twentieth-century (and twenty-first-century). This philosophical perspective inspired Romanticism and resonated with many people in today's society experiencing fear, confusion, loneliness and loss of meaning. Rousseau provided a feelings foundation for the rise of notions of victimhood, tribalism and rage within our post-modern culture. It would seem that many people in our contemporary world are not only experiencing feelings of alienation but also envy as they are confronted with flagrant displays of wealth and power through the electronic media. These are the kinds of sentiments that Trump exploited so effectively in his bid for the Whitehouse with his passionate rejection of reason and the deliberate blurring of the factual information (see How Rousseau Predicted Trump).
Renaissance and homogenous thinking
Keane echoes Marshall McLuan's argument that the invention of the printing press inevitably led to nationalism by homogenising national languages and thereby minimising the notion of the tribe within states. Thus, the consolidation of a national language brought people together and consolidated the nation state. The printed book is also viewed as an extension of the visual faculty that intensifies perspective and the fixed points of view. Thus, the moveable type reinforced the notion that space is "visual, uniform and continuous". This provided a stable platform that provided a shared grand narrative that gave impetus to industrial growth, capitalism, and economic prosperity.
Postmodernism and the internet
Just as the printing press had a profound effect on Western civilisation during Renaisance the internet is now having an even greater impact on human knowing, memory and meaning. In our present postmodern situation the grand narrative has been replaced along with reason itself. Truth is no longer seen as absolute but all truth is considered as being relative. Today's digital citizens tend to read less even though they may spend a lot of time on the internet. They are able to multitask more easily and more effectively than the previous generation. They are likely to be more concerned with knowing how and where to find information rather than remembering important facts. On social media they are constantly rewarded with 'likes' and being linked with those that are more inclined to agree with their own thoughts and feelings. Social media users are more inclined to provoke outrage and the venting of anger as it elicits more rewards in the form of likes, sympathetic responses, and repostings. Keane believes that digital users are spending more time alone with their devices and are more likely to develop a lack of empathy for those with differing viewpoints. This narrowing social interaction allows the user to express ideas with some degree of anonymity without having to explain or justify ideas. Often the intent of the user is to stir up rage and elicit shared emotional reactions.
Political dissociation
Even though humanity as a whole is doing better than at any other time in the history of the world social media constantly bombards users with a supply of social issues to worry about. "The internet is the great dislocator of our time, disrupting us psychologically, socially and economically." For many, this situation has lead to the distrust of politicians and feelings of alienation, anxiety, and outrage.
Other useful links:
Post-truth in an age of Authenticity
How should we read Rousseau
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