ENGLISH

On the Public

Book information

Publisher
Routledge
Year
2005
ISBN
041532792X, 9780415327923, 9780203390764
LCC
JF799 .H36 2005
Open Library ID
OL3294681M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
491 kB (502614 bytes)
Series
Thinking in Action
Edition
New edition
Pages
160\160
Scanned
yes
Time added
2010-11-21 21:13:21

Description

The media often talk about public opinion, the 'American' or 'British' public, or the movie-going public. A public can hold an opinion and be divided. What is the public and where did it come from? Is there one public or many? Is the very idea of the public a myth? In this fascinating book, Alastair Hannay explores these questions and unpacks a much talked about but little understood phenomenon. He begins by tracing the origins of the public back to ancient Rome, before arguing that the idea of a public sphere is closely linked to the birth of democracy in the eighteenth century. He also reflects on the Enlightenment and the origins of public opinion, as well as considering the role of the media in creating and manipulating the public, and asks whether the very idea of the public might be uprooted and undermined by the Internet and global technology. Engaging and controversial in equal measure, On the Public also draws on famous thinkers who have written about the public, such as Kierkegaard, Hannah Arendt, John Dewey and Jürgen Habermas.

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