Literature Dies in the Digital: Friedrich Kittler on Literature as Medium

Jiang Na

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Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (1) : 150-160.

Mutual Learning between Literary Theories

Literature Dies in the Digital: Friedrich Kittler on Literature as Medium

Jiang Na

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Abstract

Friedrich Kittler, one of the theoretical pioneers of the “media materialism” paradigm, views literature as a medium and thereby analyzes its material basis and technological features. From the writing practices of the print era to modern literature in the age of analog technology, shifts in technological media have disrupted literary history, resulting in the death of literature in the age of computers. Kittler's media materialist approach to literature emphasizes the external hardware conditions that define literature as a medium and offers a new technological perspective for reviewing literary development. This innovative approach has transformed the framework of literary studies and provided a forward-looking method that offers valuable insights into broadening current literary research.

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Friedrich Kittler / media materialism / discourse networks / digital humanity

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Jiang Na. Literature Dies in the Digital: Friedrich Kittler on Literature as Medium[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2025, 45(1): 150-160

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