Discarnation: Expounding on Marshall Mcluhan's Critique of Modern Subjectivity Amanda Sevilla
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Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fall 12-21-2018 Discarnation: Expounding on Marshall McLuhan's Critique of Modern Subjectivity Amanda Sevilla Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Part of the Other Philosophy Commons, and the Rhetoric Commons Recommended Citation Sevilla, A. (2018). Discarnation: Expounding on Marshall McLuhan's Critique of Modern Subjectivity (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1493 This One-year Embargo is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DISCARNATION: EXPOUNDING ON MARSHALL MCLUHAN’S CRITIQUE OF MODERN SUBJECTIVITY A Dissertation Submitted to the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Amanda L. Sevilla December 2018 Copyright by Amanda L. Sevilla 2018 DISCARNATION: EXPOUNDING ON MARSHALL MCLUHAN’S CRITIQUE OF MODERN SUBJECTIVITY By Amanda L. Sevilla Approved October 30, 2018 ________________________________ ________________________________ Dr. Calvin L. Troup Dr. Richard H. Thames President, Geneva College Associate Professor of Communication & Visiting Scholar, Communication & Rhetorical Studies Rhetorical Studies, Duquesne University (Committee Member) (Committee Chair) ________________________________ Dr. Janie Harden Fritz Professor of Communication & Rhetorical Studies (Committee Member) ________________________________ ________________________________ Dr. James Swindal Dr. Ronald C. Arnett Dean, McAnulty College and Graduate Chair, Department of Communication & School of Liberal Arts Rhetorical Studies Professor of Philosophy Professor of Communication & Rhetorical Studies iii ABSTRACT DISCARNATION: EXPOUNDING ON MARSHALL MCLUHAN’S CRITIQUE OF MODERN SUBJECTIVITY By Amanda L. Sevilla December 2018 Dissertation supervised by Calvin L. Troup, Ph.D. This project presents Marshall McLuhan’s work as an explication of discarnate subjectivity in mediated environments, with special focus on the consequences of technological environments in society. The first and second chapters focus on McLuhan’s ground, sensibilities, and practice to shed light on his intricate discussions of social perceptions emerging in modern times—i.e., communal awareness propels perceptual and cultural shifts. The third chapter attends to people’s perceptual compass, or their ability to interpret the world around them. Chapter four considers some of the phenomenological aspects of McLuhan’s probes. The ideas show disconnects between time and space that contribute to discarnation in everyday life. Chapter five showcases ways the Incarnate represents a hermeneutic inquiry into media omnipresence in the social forum. Ultimately, in the final chapter, I show that McLuhan’s well-known phrase “the medium iv is the message,” as I will maintain, bypasses popular culture’s surface-level assumptions about media and leads us instead to the heart of McLuhan’s work, which is the notion that discarnation is a consequence of—and directly linked to—modern subjectivity. v DEDICATION For Marv, “my person,” thank you for always believing in me more than I ever have. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As I explored Herbert Marshall McLuhan’s work, I was intrigued and inspired by his quick wit and genuine love of learning. Now that I am finishing this part of the journey, I would like to acknowledge several people who have helped me succeed as I worked to complete my Ph.D. at Duquesne University. To the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Duquesne University, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your instruction and support as I worked to complete the program. I will never forget your kindness. To Dr. Calvin L. Troup, I have an immeasurable amount of gratitude for your presence in my life. I have to tell you, I will miss our dissertation meetings, as I have always looked forward to them. You have offered pure kindness and support during times when I needed it most. Through your mentorship, I have grown to view life in a different, more hopeful way. I want you to know that I am sincerely appreciative to you for all you have done to help me succeed. You have shown me the true meaning of God’s love. To Dr. Janie Harden Fritz, you are an amazing scholar who inspires me to strive for excellence, and I feel honored to have you on my committee. Thank you for all of the encouragement along the way. I have always felt that I could turn to you for guidance. To Dr. Richard Thames, you once requested to meet with me when I considered choosing a different path. You told me that my background was interesting and meaningful. I’ve never forgotten that conversation, and I never will. Thank you for being an awesome professor. To Dr. James Swindal and Ms. Linda Rendulic in the McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts, your caring assistance has been an immense help to me many times. vii To my colleague and friend Guy Shebat at Youngstown State University, you have given me a great deal of support throughout this entire process. To Mrs. Rita McCaffrey, on many occasions, you have offered advice, assistance, or a kind word. Thank you for everything. To Ms. Andrea Kamicker, I have always enjoyed our chats. Your encouragement and friendship mean a lot to me. To Andrew McLuhan, I am grateful for times when your tips led me to new scholarly terrain. We have captured the spirit of mediated friendship! To my many dear friends, I thank you for all of the support along the way! To Kelly Wang, my dissertation comrade, I feel like this journey has brought us closer than ever. Thank you for being here with me, my friend. To my dear friend Dr. Brian Gilchrist, thank you for being a long-time source of friendship, laughter, cheerfulness, and hope. To my mother-in-law, Lita, and father-in-law, Lito, you have been extremely supportive as I worked on this doctorate. Salamat sa paniniwala mo sa akin. To my mother, Nancy, thank you for pushing me to follow my dreams when I showed an intense interest in school at a young age. I love you very much. To Christina, my little sister and best friend, thank you for all of your encouragement. I love and appreciate you! To my niece, Aashi, I hope you always follow your dreams, little bean. Then there is Marv, my sweet husband, thank you for being my best friend. I am lucky to be on this journey with you by my side. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Dedication .......................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... vii List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................ xi CHAPTER ONE: Introduction ...........................................................................................1 Scholarship and Related Topics ...............................................................................2 Phenomenological and Hermeneutic Investigations ..............................................18 Overview of Discussion ........................................................................................22 CHAPTER TWO: Marshall McLuhan’s Ground, Sensibilities, and Practice .................24 McLuhan’s Ground ................................................................................................25 The Sensibilities of Communal Thought in the Mediated World ..........................27 Overlaps between Rhetoric and Media Ecology ....................................................31 Patterns of Human Perception ...............................................................................42 Rhetorical Facets of Language and Literacy .........................................................44 Orality & Literacy ..................................................................................................47 Patterns of Perception ............................................................................................54 CHAPTER THREE: A Rhetorical Response to Modernity: McLuhan’s Mediated Epistemology ........................................................................................................59 New Media Environments and Epistemology ......................................................59 Changing Environments and Subjectivity ............................................................66 Epistemology of Experience Versus Veiled Perceptions ......................................68 ix McLuhan’s Epistemological Probes .....................................................................77 CHAPTER FOUR: Rhetorical Inquiry into Mediated Environments: Phenomenology, Time, and Media ...............................................................................87 The City and Its Phenomenological Coordinates .............................................................. 99 Incarnation, Discarnation, and Subjectivity .................................................................... 101 A Note on McLuhan’s Phenomenological Considerations ............................................