Heidegger, Habermas and the Mobile Phone

by George Myerson

Move over e-commerce, mantra of the late 20th century... welcome in-commerce, catchword of the new millennium! Everyone remembers 'It's good to talk, the cosy slogan of the telephone at the end of the last century. But now we are witnessing a global campaign to promote the mobile: as credit card, Internet link, e-mail port, and, if you still have time, voice-mail junction. By 2003, we are told, there will be 900 million Internet-connected mobiles. This Postmodern Encounter gives the gist of the massive campaign to mobilise the globe, and asks the urgent question: what is happening to the idea of communication? Key thinkers of the 20th century offer an essential alternative to these new doctrines of m-communication: Martin Heidegger, who saw humanity as "the entity which talks", and Jurgen Habermas, current-day advocates of authentic communication. This is a close encounter between alien visions of communication - between the conflicting utopianisms of 20th-century philosophers and 21st-century "mobilised communication."

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

80 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 1997

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating critique of the 'mobile phone' as a culture (and not just a technical device) and a pithy summary of Heidegger and Habermas' critique of technology. In many ways this critique is even more pressing given the new facebook evangelism...

[Jason Burke Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is surprisingly the best approachable introduction to Habermas and Heidegger in English that I have found. And Myerson does this en route to laying out his concerns about the alienating potential of our upcoming "mobilization."

[Brent Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at mobile technology alongside the philosophy of Heidegger and Habermas.

[Tvrtko Balić · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book isn't as focused on Heidegger and Habermas as I thought it would be, the explanation of their thought could be better and it gets lost in a bunch of other references, but it was still immensely interesting to read incredibly accurate predictions and relevant thoughts on mobile phones from the start of the millennium.

[Mehwish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 2001 yet applicable today more than ever.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heidegger, Habermas & the Mobile Phone
9/10

short little book that explores global mobilisation through a philosophical lense; starting first with with Heidegger (existentialism) and moving on to the modern , digital perspective of Jürgen Habermas. There was some really interesting comparisons between the internet versus the mobile phone and how the latter is eclipsing the former as the new paradigm of contemporary communication. The book is sweet, straightforward and really engaging.