Reading Discussion

Villem Flusser, Toward A Philosophy of Photography

To be honest, for the people who know nothing about philosophy and photography like me, the article is killing me. The knowledge in the article is far beyond my reach, but so of the concept is quite attract me. The author mentions a concept of the photography historical significance. He said “The invention of photography is just as decisive an historical turning point as was the invention of linear writing. With writing, history as such begins as the struggle against idolatry, with photography, “post-history” begins as a struggle against textolatry.” In his opinion, photography as a technology born with a historical mission which similar to writing at that time. Basic on this point, he also presents a concept about the definition of illiteracy. He thinks everyone owns a camera nowadays, just as nearly everyone has learned to write. A person knows how to write mush know how to read. But a person knows how to shoot photographs does not necessarily know how to decipher them, which means he is illiteracy on photography. This is a quite interesting theory to me. With the rapid development of science and technology today, whether there is a new technology would also be born with a historical mission, then have to against the “post history” created by photography, like virtual reality technology today. Then the question had been discussed in the article, like establish photography philosophy, whether become unnecessary. Just like before people realized they are the illiteracy of photography, the next age against image age has already come.