In the book "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man," Marshall McLuhan discusses the history of invention and how it shapes human society. McLuhan argues that technology and media are tools that humans use as extensions of the human body and mind.
He suggests that invention can be divided into four main periods: the tribal age, the literate age, the print age, and the electronic age. In the tribal age, human societies were primarily oral and lived in small, close-knit communities. In the literate age, the invention of writing led to the development of complex societies and cultures. The print age, which began with the invention of the printing press, allowed for the widespread dissemination of knowledge and the development of mass communication. Finally, the electronic age, which McLuhan believed was just beginning in the 1960s, has brought about a global interconnectedness and a retribalization of human society.
McLuhan argued that each new invention or medium of communication brings about a profound change in how humans perceive and interact with the world. He believed that these changes are often unpredictable and can have unintended consequences. McLuhan's work has been influential in the study of media and technology, and his ideas have been widely debated and critiqued over the years.
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