A Study On Paul Levinson’s Media Technology Theories

Campbell divided knowledge’s evolution into three stages, which are generation, inspection and communication. Levinson located the cognitive technologies in the stage of knowledge generation, and oriented the communication technologies in the stages of knowledge inspection and communication. The technologies that expand people’s cognitive range and improve people’s rational intelligence respectively impact the cognitive stage. The communication technologies represented by photographic camera have great impact in the communication stage. However, though Levinson pointed out that people’s participation was the key of knowledge inspection, he didn’t explain clearly how communication technologies impact the stage of knowledge inspection. The author tried to revise Levinson’s three stages. In addition, Levinson also ignored cognitive technologies’ role in the stage of knowledge inspection.Levinson pointed out that the essence of technology was the material embodiment of thought. He maintained that technologies were the important force to promote the growth of knowledge as he was optimistic about technologies. As people rely on the technology exceedingly so that they are separate with life. Levinson held the opinion that telephone was the channel that can connect people and life, because walking side making a phone call is possible. However, lying too much on phone is harmful. The unified standards in industrial society take creative and contemplative faculties away from people. All of these negative influences of technologies were not considered by Levinson. From this, the author calls on the value of perceptual life and the persistent and rational growth of knowledge.