Typographic Mind: Amusing Ourselves to Death, Chapter 4 {2 of 2}

Intro Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 {pt 1} Ch. 4 {pt 2} Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 
Ch. 8 Ch. 9 {pt 1} Ch. 9 {pt 2} Ch. 10 Ch. 11

Part 1: Chapter 4 The Typographic Mind {2 of 2}

Previously Postman had accentuated the way our typographic mind is geared to coherent, orderly discourse because of typography. Picking up from there the paragraph that follows in the book is how in the New World (America), "Deism" was definitely given its chance to appeal to people by means of 'reason'- through the printed word. Ezra Stiles (a minister and president of Yale College) said that he was confident libertines need no "more complain of being overcome by any weapons but the gentle, the powerful ones of argument and truth. (pg. 53)" Postman mentions Thomas Jefferson's work on the Gospels, with all "fantastical" references removed. 

"Legend has it that when Jefferson was elected President, old women hid their Bibles and shed tears. What they might have done had Tom Paine become President or been offered some high post in the government is hard to imagine. In The Age of Reason, Paine attacked the Bible and all subsequent Christian theology. (pg. 53)"

All that to show that as Ezra Stiles had said, the Deists were able to have their say, through print. And so were churches- they fought the Deists and when that no longer gained much interest, they fought with each other. One arena they fought in was founding colleges. Between 1784 and 1834, more than 26 colleges were founded. 

"If this preoccupation with literacy and learning be a form of insanity, as Croswell said of religious life in America, then let there be more of it...America [was] dominated by an austere, learned, and intellectual form of discourse that is largely absent from religious life today. (pg. 55-56)" 

Contrast Jonathan Edwards with Jerry Falwell (or even your own pastor). 

Next Postman goes onto talk about lawyers and the legal system; how it was shaped by the typographic mind. I'll admit that I do not know many of the lawyers he names but for Abe Lincoln and possibly Daniel Webster. The mentality of the time was in order for these men to be worth their salt as lawyers they would need to be "liberal"; as in, learned. One lawyer professor said lawyers needed to be well versed in Seneca, Cicero and Plato. To read just law would degrade even the best mind. A lawyer needed to be a writing and reading man. An example of the "typographic man" can be found in John Marshall. He never used analogy, he was devoted to logic, and abhored contradiction. 

Going to the mindset of the people during this time, Postman says that the ones who followed and listened to lawyers knew what was being said. They understood the words used. Here's a good quote by Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story of traits fitting a good lawyer:

"...his clearness and downright simplicity of statement, his vast comprehensiveness of topics, his fertility in illustrations drawn from practical sources; his keen analysis, and suggestion of difficulties; his power of disentangling a complicated proposition, and resolving it in elements so plain as to reach the most common minds; his vigor in generalizations, planting his own arguments behind the whole battery of his opponents; his wariness and caution not to betray himself by heat into untenable positions, or to spread his forces over useless ground. (pg. 58, words about Daniel Webster)"

Postman now moves to advertising. This shows such a difference from today. The ads were geared toward those who be able to buy what the advertisers were selling; it was assumed the potential buyer was "literate, rational, analytical" (pg. 58). They weren't geared toward the children of potential buyers like today. And, despite the risk of quoting too much, here is an ad placed by Paul Revere:

Whereas many persons are so unfortunate as to lose their Fore-Teeth by Accident, and otherways, to their great Detriment, not only in Looks, but Speaking both in Public and Private:--This is to inform all such, that they may have them re-placed with false Ones, that look as well as the Natural, and Answers the End of Speaking to all Intents, by Paul Revere, Goldsmith, near the Head of Dr. Clarke's Wharf, Boston. (pg. 59)"

It would be about 1860/79 before the format changed for advertisements. Right to the end of the 19th century ads still were considered to be serious and to convey information. This was fairly shattered (Postman's word) in the 1890s with the inclusion of illustrations and images, and the adoption of slogans. By the beginning of the 20th century poetential customers were no longer assumed rational. "Advertising became one part depth psychology, one part aesthetic theory. Reason had to move itself to other arenas" (pg. 60).

During the 18th/19th century reading held a different quality than today. People of high office or standing were known by their written works. Case in point: think about recent Presidents, preachers, lawyers, scientists; what comes to mind? Generally speaking it will be an image not words. That is the difference of the word-centered and image-centered culture.

Another difference is the leisure culture we have today, in contrast to the limited amounts back then. Speaking of reading of course, because it was seen as a leisurely activity, but it was serious and purposeful. Postman references "reading comprehension" that plagues us today- back then "what else was reading but comprehension?" (pg. 61). He says there wasn't a reading problem except for those who could not attend school.

At the time, the 18th/19th century, the printed word was inextricably connected to public discourse, and that included just about everyone. To be able to participate via the written word was extremely important. Voters had to meet certain requirements, of which some may be overlooked occasionally, with the exception of one's ability to read. It was mandatory.

"For two centuries, America declared its products, created its literature and addressed its deities with black squiggles on white paper. It did its talking in typography, and with that as the main feature of its symbolic environment rose to prominence in world civilization" (pg. 63).

By the end of the 19th century however, there was a new age on the horizon...the Age of Show Business. Next time, I'll write on chapter 5, The Peek-a-Boo World.