Materiality And Mediation:A Study Of Regis Debray’s Media Thought

Starting from the question of how communication studies bridge material and human,this paper takes the mediology founded by French scholar Regis Debray as the object to explore the dialectical relationship between material factors,symbolic systems and group organization in the process of cultural transmission.Through the analysis of the logical approach and basic structure of media science,it is emphasized that media,as a technical method and infrastructure,endows the human living environment with the material background,and forms a dynamic intermediary chain together with other elements such as capital and culture to outline the communication landscape in the post-human era.The theoretical premise of mediology is that a group can be brought together through transcendental beliefs,and the construction and dissolution of symbolic sacredness are closely related to communication technology.The ideological theme of mediology is push communication philosophy to media philosophy,which highlights Debray’s observation on the multiple attributes and practical process of media.In order to eliminate the illusion of immediacy and directness brought about by"communication",Debray pioneered the term "transmission.The logical starting point of mediology is the interaction between technology and culture,exploring the material and symbolic connections in human society.The medium he talks about not only refers to the visible medium,but also the combination of physical configuration such as material technology and infrastructure,and organizational system such as institutional interface and language coding.Through the concept of "médiasphères",Debray removed the consciousness of culture,took technology as a cultural vector,looked at the history of civilization from the sequence of media evolution,and outlined the material interface in ideology.Although his vision is broad,he pays more attention to the micro interactive reality than the grand narrative.The final destination of mediology is the issue of historical continuity,which is concerned about the future of mankind.The development of technology has brought a preference for standardization and an impact on local culture.How to ensure the survival of collective memory,enhance social cohesion and avoid the nothingness of history is a problem worthy of consideration.In addition,Debray extended his vision to the visual field,examined the connection between images and elements such as technology,art and belief from an interdisciplinary perspective,and clearly showed that the evolution of images from a media presenting sacred images to itself is a process of "new religion".In general,Debray understands the essence of media from a material,microscopic and concrete perspective,highlighting the temporal and spatial properties of media and its utility and value in building groups."There is a strong humanistic concern in his media theory.He goes deep into the gap between cultural inheritance and technological development,and discusses the difference and continuity of history,which reflects the sense of responsibility of a public intellectual.Although the rationality of "mediology" as a discipline is still debatable,its greatest value is as a way of thinking to reflect on the research tradition of "emphasis on symbols and light on materials" in communication studies,and to get rid of the "text-centered" The shackles of social construction paradigms such as socialism provide another way of thinking,while also heightening the vigilance of cultural coexistence and technological hidden dangers in the current digital age.