No. 4 (2017): Communication and social transformations

Socrates was concerned about the effects of the invention of writing on memory and dialogical discussion; Milton preferred individual reading of printed texts to preaching in closed circles; Mallesherbes stressed the inconsistency and counterproductive effects of previous censorship in the face of the press developments of his time; Victor Hugo asserted that the press would put an end to architecture ("Le livre va tuer l'édifice"); Walter Benjamin reflected on the changes in photography on our conception of art; McLuhan argued that the medium was the message; Debray and the Mediologues were concerned with the symbolic functions of mediations, paying particular attention to technical issues... The relationship between communication and social transformations has deep roots in the history of social thought, and developments in this field in recent decades have considerably expanded its importance and the need to continue this reflection. Today we experience profound transformations in our world and in our lives, on an unprecedented scale and at an unprecedented speed. From economics to politics, from technology to culture or organizations, from our habits to the way we relate to each other, all areas of social life today are marked by change.