Amusing Ourselves to Death

Amusing Ourselves to Death Glossary

abjure

renounce; repudiate

acculturation

cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture

ad hominem

an argument made personally against an opponent instead of against their argument

aphorism

a pithy observation that contains a general truth

apotheosis

the perfect example

axiom

a statement accepted as true as the basis for argument or inference

banal

trite; lacking in originality

codified

arranged into a systematic code

commodity

any thing that is designed to be sold or traded, rather than for immediate practical use

concomitant

naturally accompanying or associated

consonant

being in agreement or harmony

countermand

revoke; cancel

critical mass

an amount necessary or sufficient for a cause to have a significant effect or to achieve a result; in this case, the amount of influence television needs before it entirely infiltrates all culture

decontextualized

something considered in isolation from its context; Postman uses the term mainly to refer to information that is delivered without any attention paid to its historical or social significance

Deism

a religious belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe; several of America's Founding Fathers identified themselves as Deists

desiccated

lacking interest, passion, or energy

didactic

designed or intended to teach

discourse

any written or spoken communication or debate; in Postman's context, the form of communication in which any particular civilization engages, whether oral, written, or televised

ecumenism

a movement promoting unity among Christian churches or denominations

epistemology

the theory of knowledge, esp. with regard to its methods, validity, and scope; our ways of knowing and judging truth

equanimity

composure; calmness; poise

exposition

a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory

illusory

deceptive or unreal

interposition

the placement or insertion of one thing in between others

malapropism

the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; esp: the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context

media ecology

According to Postman, "Media ecology looks into the matter of how media of communication affect human perception, understanding, feeling, and value; and how our interaction with media facilitates or impedes our chances of survival."

media-metaphor

Postman's term for the way that a civilization's media serves as a metaphor for the way it communicates amongst itself

medium

a means of delivering a message, whether a specific technology or an abstract form of communication like writing or speaking; in Postman's definition, "a use to which a physical apparatus [like the television] is put"

mendacity

untruthfulness

métier

a field of work; occupation or profession

obstetrics

the branch of medicine and surgery concerned with childbirth and the care of women giving birth

parity

the state or condition of being equal

pedagogical

of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education

penny newspaper

in American history, a cheap newspaper dedicated to sensational or controversial stories

perforce

by necessity; by force of circumstance

perspicacity

keenness of mental perception and understanding; discernment

polemics

the art or practice of argumentation or controversy

preeminent

surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way

proposition

something offered for consideration or acceptance

quixotic

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

resonance

a phenomenon that Postman defines in the words of Northrop Frye, in which "a particular statement in a particular context achieves a universal significance"

rhetoric

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing

semantic

of or relating to meaning in language

stump speaker

in American political history, a politician or politician's representative who traveled to give speeches detailing a candidate's positions

surmise

to form a thought or idea based on scanty evidence

verisimilitude

the quality of appearing to be true or real

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