The Reincarnations Of Media Extension Theory— Understanding McLuhan

As one of the three major media theory of McLuhan, media extension theory has attracted much attention and controversy. Where does media extension theory come from and where to go? The purpose of this paper is to find the root of McLuhan’s media extension theory and search for its development trend in the future. According to the historical time, this paper traces back to the beginning when extensional theory was born, along with hazy disciplinary boundaries, such as evolutionary theory, psychology, theory of technology, biology, etc. When communication studies registers for permanent residence, the theory was gradually refined as media extension theory. Now in this century of technical innovation, old theory has to start new dialogue with new media. Such theoretical carding is not only fragmented but also abundant, so as to approach media extension theory. The most impressive and revolutionary achievement of McLuhan is to move the media ecology concerns from the outer environment to the inner environment, unlike the big environment perspective, such as history, society and culture, he took us into the topic of "extension of man". Whether it is language media, including spoken language, witten letters, or electronic media, including telegraph, telephone, television, he can catch the "difficult to find’ impacts what technique did on human and put forward "media is the extension of human". First, focus on <Understanding Media>, the author digs into the origin of media extension theory, utilizing the intersection of the multidisciplinary as Henri Bergson, Sigmund Freud, Lewis Mumford, R. Buckminster Fuller and Edward Hall all’s famous research all have connection with McLuhan’s media extension theory; Secondly, focus on the analysis of McLuhan’s media extension theory, from the premise, connotation, results of media extension theory to understand his essence, besides, comparing with scholars before and after, like Levinson and Innis’s opinions, may give reader more spark of thought; Then, following the step of Professor He DaoKuan, finding the three leap of media extension theory, combing with Paul Levinson, Robert K. Logan and Terrence Gordon’s critic of McLuhan, the writer tried to explore and rethink the past and future of media extension theory; At last, it is the author’s rethinking and summary, contains experiences and problems throughout the study, new thinking of "inner environment" and the positive and negative views on technology and humanities, drawing full stop of the reincarnation of media extension theory. This paper aims to theory carding, clearly understand theoretical context of media on extension, and to continue McLuhan’s romantic literary criticism spirit.