Media Ontology: The Philosophical Basis of the Research of New Media Literature and Art

Abstract

Abstract: To construct media ontology is to lay a philosophical foundation for the research into new media literature and art. Media ontology, compared with media epistemology and media ousiaology, is a post-metaphysical media philosophy grounded on the theories of modern ontology, and the theoretical context is constructed by the theoretical reflections from the perspective of media philosophy and the studies on the transition from classic ontology to modern ousiaology. The three illogically interconnected propositions of media ontology are "to be is to inform," "the medium is information" and "media is being." In this light, being can be interpreted through information activities of existents, and all information is mediated and no information is self-contained and exists in itself. When existents function to intermediate in such activities as intermediation, collaboration, containment, configuration and production, they become media and show in the relations of mediating existence. When presence and language are mediating activities, they help to construct the important expansive way of existence. Media are essentially the field in which existence becomes, and existence is the activity in which the existent is mediated.

Key words: media ontology, to be is to inform, the medium is information, media is being

Shan Xiaoxi. Media Ontology: The Philosophical Basis of the Research of New Media Literature and Art[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2013, 33(2): 178-191.

References

亚里士多德：《亚里士多德全集》（第一卷），苗力田主编。北京：中国人民大学出版社，1993年。
[Aristotle. The Complete Works of Aristotle. Vol. 1. Ed. Miao Litian. Beijing: China Renmin University Press, 1993.]
——：《亚里士多德全集》（第七卷），苗力田主编。北京：中国人民大学出版社，1993年。
[----. The Complete Works of Aristotle. Vol. 7. Ed. Miao Litian. Beijing: China Renmin University Press, 1993.]
巴特：《文之悦》，屠友祥译。上海：上海人民出版社，2002年。
[Barthes, R. Le Plaisir du texte. Trans. Tu Youxiang. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 2002.]
卡希尔：《人论》，甘阳译。上海：上海译文出版社，1985年。
[Cassirer, Ernst. An Essay on Man. Trans. Gan Yang. Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 1985.]
Derrida, J. Speech and Phenomena: And Other Essays on Husserl's Theory of Signs. Trans. D. B. Allison. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 1973.
弗洛里迪：“信息哲学的若干问题”，刘钢译。《世界哲学》（北京） 5（2004）：101—107。
[Floridi, L. “Open Problems in the Philosophy of Information.” International Philosophy Today (Beijing) 5 (2004): 101-107.]
Frege, G. Posthumous Writings. Trans. P. Long and R. M. White. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1979.
哈特曼：《存在学的新道路》，庞学铨、沈国琴译。上海：同济大学出版，2007年。
[Hartmann, N. Neue Wege der Ontologie. Trans. Pang Xuequan and Shen Guoqin. Shanghai: ongji University Press, 2007.]
海德格尔：《存在与时间》，陈嘉映、王庆节译。上海：三联书店，2000年。
[Heidegger, M. Sein und Zeit. Trans. Chan Jiaying and Wang Qingjie. Shanghai: Shanghai SDX Joint Publishing House, 2000.]
——：《海德格尔选集》，孙周兴选编。上海：上海三联书店1996年
[----. An Anthology of Heidegger. Ed. Sun Zhouxing. Shanghai: Shanghai SDX Joint Publishing House, 1996.]
——：《林中路》，孙周兴译。上海：上海译文出版社，1997年。
[----. Holzwege. Trans. Sun Zhouxing. Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 1997.]
——：《在通向语言的途中》，孙周兴译。北京：商务印书馆，2005年。
[----. Unterwegs zur Sprache. Trans. Sun Zhouxing. Beijing: The Commercial Press, 2005.]
赫尔德：《论语言的起源》，姚小平译。北京：商务印书馆，1998年。
[Herder, J. G. V. Abhandlung iiber den Ursprung der Sprache. Trans. Yao Xiaoping. Beijing: The Commercial Press, 1998.]
金慧敏：“媒介即信息”与庄子的技术观——为纪念麦克卢汉百年诞辰而作”，《江西社会科学》6（2012）：14—18。
[Jin, Huimin. “‘The medium is the message’ and Zhuangzi’s Concept of Technology.” Jiangxi Social Sciences 6 (2012 ): 14 -18.]
Levinson, P. Digital McLuhan: A Guide to the Information Millennium. NewYork: Routledge, 1999.
李彬：《传播学引论》。北京：新华出版社，2003年。
[Li, Bin. An Introduction to Communication Studies. Beijing: Xinhua Press, 2003.]
刘钢：《信息哲学探源》。北京：金城出版社，2007年。
[Liu, Gang. An Investigation to the Philosophy of Information. Beijing: Jincheng Press, 2007.]
刘伸：“信息与情报”，《情报科学》4（1980）：1—4。
[Liu, Shen. “Information and Intelligence.” Information Science 4 (1980):1-4.]
Lum, C. M .K. Perspectives on Culture, Technology and Communication: The Media Ecology Tradition. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press,2006.
柏拉图：《柏拉图全集》（第二卷），王晓朝译。北京：人民出版社，2003年。
[Plato. The Complete Works of Plato. Vol. II. Trans. Wang Xiaochao. Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2008.]
Postman, N. Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York: Vintage Books, 1992.
Sandbothe, M. Pragmatic Media Philosophy: Foundations of a New Discipline in the Internet Age. Trans. Andrew Inkpin. Online Publication: www.sandbothe.net 2005.
Sayre, K, M. Cybernetics and the Philosophy of Mind. London: Roultedge and Kegan Paul, 1976.
Stevenson, N. Understanding Media Cultures: Social Theory and Mass Communication. London: SAGE, 2006.
王庆节：《解释学、海德格尔与儒道今释》。北京：中国人民大学出版社，2004年。
[Wang, Qingjie. A Modern Interpretation of Hermeneutics, Heidegger and Confucianism and Taoism. Beijing : China Renmin University Press, 2004 .]
汪子嵩等：《希腊哲学史》（第二卷）。北京：人民出版社，1993年。
[Wang, Zisong, et al. A History of Greek Philosophy. Vol. 2. Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1993.]
维纳：《控制论》，郝季仁译。北京：科学出版社，1963年。
[Wiener, N. Cybernetics. Trans. Hao Jiren. Beijing: Science Press, 1963.]
惠勒：《宇宙逍遥》，田松等译。北京：北京理工大学出版社，2006年.
[Wheele, J. A. At Home in the Universe. Trans. Tian Song, et al. Beijing: Beijing Institute of Technology Press, 2006.]
Williams, R. Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
邬焜：“信息哲学的基本理论及其对哲学的全新突破”，《西安交通大学学报》（哲学社会科学版）2（2006）1—15。
[Wu, Kun, “Basic Theories of Information Philosophy and their Breakthrough on Philosophy.” Journal of Xi’an Jiaotong University (Social Sciences) 2 (2006) 1-15.]
肖峰：《信息主义及其哲学探源》。北京：中国社会科学出版社，2011年.
[Xiao, Feng. Informationalism and a Philosophical Exploration to It. Beijing: China Social Science Press, 2011.]
张法：“麦克卢汉的媒介哲学与美学”，王岳川主编《媒介哲学》，开封：河南大学出版社2004年。
[Zhang, Fa. “McLuhan's Media Philosophy and Aesthetics.” Media Philosophy. Ed. Wang Yuechuan. Kaifeng: Henan University Press, 2004.]