White Noise by De Lillo
White Noise by De Lillo could well be considered a fertile testing ground of modern and post-modern hypotheses and theories of Philosophy of Technology, which may be of recent origin but trace their roots to the days of Plato and Aristotle.
White Noise by De Lillo
De Lillo’s book White Noise is at once a critique of many facets of modern American society and depiction of human strengths and frailties in man-machine interaction in a technocratic society. The work therefore, could well be considered a fertile testing ground of modern and post-modern hypotheses and theories of Philosophy of Technology, which may be of recent origin but trace their roots to the days of Plato and Aristotle.
To Marx, man is determined by machine, or the forces of production. But Marx’s analysis doesn’t touch the individual, the ‘being’. White noise is set in a post-capitalist society, where the forces of production are in a Marxian order, but the individual and society have moved beyond, in the direction analyzed by Dahrendorf.
The presumptions of the middle-class whiteness depicted in the book comes under fire from a number of sources. Isn’t that something most of the philosophers do –challenge the popular presumptions? The thesis of ‘one dimensional man’ propounded by Marcuse says much the same. The advanced industrial society creates false needs that integrates individuals into the existing system of production and consumption. This is done through the mass-media, advertising, industrial management and contemporary modes of thought in which critical thinking and oppositional behavior appears to be withering away. De Lillo raises similar issues. Societal criticisms range from sensationalism and media, to fear of doctors, to conformity, technology, superficiality, lies and consumerism as well as the misinformed family unit. The problems with fear of authority are dealt equally well.
The philosophers like Marx and Marcuse, Heidegger and Foucault have all stood for the full development of the individual in a non-repressive society. The political dimension of science and technology have equally been recognized by them.
Heidegger looks deeper into the meaning of ‘being’ and goes on to criticize the phenomenology of Husserl, because when something is said to be, there is nothing expressed, which the word ‘being’ could denote. Therefore, the word ‘being’ is a meaningless term. The distinction between being (das sein) and beings (das seinde) is fundamental to Heidegger. The modern science and technology may try to conceal or even deny their metaphysical origin, but they cannot escape it.
While Heinreich’s character represents the author’s views and that of Jack Gladney’s mirrors the society and its view, simple beliefs and assumptions are questioned. What are our senses? What is truth? What is ‘now’? How do we know that it is raining? Common sense assumptions are repeatedly challenged. Heinreich admits men have no control over their actions and decisions. It is the brain chemistry that works. It is neuron that moves rather than an individual thinking. Are human and machine alike?
Liked it
