Bats in the Belfry: On the Relationship of Cybernetics and German Media Theory
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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Bats in the Belfry : On the Relationship of Cybernetics and German Media Theory. / Müggenburg, Jan Klaus.
in: Canadian Journal of Communication, Jahrgang 42, Nr. 3, 28.07.2017, S. 467 – 484.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Bats in the Belfry
T2 - On the Relationship of Cybernetics and German Media Theory
AU - Müggenburg, Jan Klaus
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Canadian Journal of Communication Corporation.
PY - 2017/7/28
Y1 - 2017/7/28
N2 - Background When German media theory (GMT) took shape in the early 1980s it was influenced by cybernetic concepts; however, it eventually discovered the history of cybernetics as an object of research.Analysis The article follows the assumption that GMT’s double reference to cybernetics must be characterized as the result of both a shared epistemology and a specific discursive constellation. After contrasting McCulloch’s concept of a synthetic physiological a priori and Kittler’s concept of a technological a priori it examines how GMT adopted concepts from cybernetics, and how its members eventually became fascinated by the history of cybernetics.Conclusion and implications The article concludes that the double reference to cybernetics explains its special role in GMT, while raising problems for GMT’s current fascination with cybernetics.
AB - Background When German media theory (GMT) took shape in the early 1980s it was influenced by cybernetic concepts; however, it eventually discovered the history of cybernetics as an object of research.Analysis The article follows the assumption that GMT’s double reference to cybernetics must be characterized as the result of both a shared epistemology and a specific discursive constellation. After contrasting McCulloch’s concept of a synthetic physiological a priori and Kittler’s concept of a technological a priori it examines how GMT adopted concepts from cybernetics, and how its members eventually became fascinated by the history of cybernetics.Conclusion and implications The article concludes that the double reference to cybernetics explains its special role in GMT, while raising problems for GMT’s current fascination with cybernetics.
KW - Media and communication studies
KW - Cybernetics
KW - Second order cybernetics
KW - German media theory
KW - Warren McCulloch
KW - Heinz von Foerster
KW - Friedrich Kittler
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026423322&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.22230/cjc.2017v42n3a3214
DO - 10.22230/cjc.2017v42n3a3214
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 42
SP - 467
EP - 484
JO - Canadian Journal of Communication
JF - Canadian Journal of Communication
SN - 0705-3657
IS - 3
ER -