Read "The Judgment of Thamus?" by Nail Postman (Essay Sample)

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The Judgment of Thamus
Various issues influence the manner in which published material is understood and perceived by the intended audience. To begin with, it is in human nature to form fallacies regarding the credibility of a particular book as well as its ability to present information in an organized and presentable manner. In this regard, people often judge books, articles, and other writings depending on their authors. What is more, a place and particular time work is released tend to draw some attention from readers based on the fact that sometimes, some printing organizations are characterized by ineffectiveness. In light of the above, it can be contended that Postman’s scholarly profile attracts an audience’s interests to his writings.
As indicated above, the author of any book or article is likely to influence the way a publication is comprehended by readers. The writer of Technopoly: The Judgment of Thamus is Neil Postman, the American educator, author, cultural critic, and media theorists who is known for his 17 books ("Brief Bibliography”). Furthermore, it is important to point out that he was significantly associated with New York University for more than forty years. Additionally, Postman published more than 200 newspaper and magazine articles for periodicals such as The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, Toome, The Harvard Education Review, and Le Monde, to mention but a few ("Brief Bibliography”). It is beyond reasonable doubt that the writer in question was a well-educated person, which is manifested by the number of books as well as articles he wrote for famous and high-ranking online periodicals. Additionally, the fact that he worked with top-rated higher-learning institutions, such as Harvard and the New York University, makes his credibility as a scholar increase substantially. Based on the facts above, it is incontestable that as one reads through Postman’s book, they are compelled to take a reasonable and logical standpoint. In particular, a work requires one to view opinions from a broad perspective in order to gain comprehension of its content. Because the author of the concerned book addresses misconceptions regarding technology, it is undoubted that the intended audience entails all people involved with the invention and utilization of technology.
Another factor that influences the success of any work is a place and time it is published. Postman’s Technopoly was released in New York by Vintage Books. First of all, it is noteworthy that many renowned printing companies are based in this city. Some of the well-known firms located in the metropolis include Penguin Random House, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan U.S., Simon & Schuster, Hacheter Book Group, and the W.W. Norton & Company, to mention a few. It is clear that New York is endowed with the necessary facilities required to enhance the operations of publishing firms. Accordingly, the fact that Postman’s book was printed in this city makes one interested in its content because of the fallacy of popularity.
What is more, Vintage Books, the firm that released the concerned book, is known for working with America’s most successful writers such as Albert Camus, Dashiell Hammet, William Faulkner, Philip Roth, Orhan Pamuk, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez among others ("New York Chapter”). Furthermore, this organization’s list includes a broad range of work, ranging from the most authoritative publications of world literature to contemporary fiction and distinguished non-fiction. Based on these facts, one is inclined to trust that the content of Postman’s book is authentic owing to the fact that it was published by a well-known firm associated with success. The work in question was released in 1992, a time when technology had started being witnessed in society. Accordingly, it is obvious that one would trust Postman’s arguments regarding people’s misinterpretation of technology since he has first-hand experience.
The central claim the author makes in his work is that Thamus was fundamentally misled by saying that the technology of writing would only cause negative impacts on society. The writer uses various works of literature to demonstrate how flawed Thamus’ claim was. The main grounds that Postman utilizes to disapprove Thamus’ assertions are based on what the latter said. For instance, Thamus posited that writing would change what is meant by the words "wisdom" and "memory." Further, he feared that memory would be confused with "recollection" and that wisdom would become indistinguishable from mere knowledge. In order to illuminate how mistaken Thamus was, Postman gives examples where technology did not completely alter what the above terms mean, but it introduced a necessary twist that allowed the continuity of writing. For instance, Postman says that in their own time, they added new words and phrases related to new technologies. Examples include "VCR”, "software”, "binary digit”, "window of opportunity”, "front-wheel drive”, and "Walkman”, to mention a few. The author insists that they were not taken by surprise at this, and that new things require new words. Additionally, Postman uses the example of television, a technology that was incepted by the printing industry. He fittingly notes that during the time of publication of his book, television provided jobs to many people, which proves that writing presented advantages to society.