Literate Technologies

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This volume develops a comprehensive system of signs and meaning that integrates theory and practice in a technological landscape where literature remains essential. It engages with theories of language, signs, literacy, and technology as they relate to key 20th-century literary innovators. The author presents a compelling thesis that reveals numerous implications. The work challenges readers to explore foundational questions about thought, imagery, and communication, pushing the boundaries of conventional cultural discourse. It subjects familiar ideas to rigorous analysis, shedding new light on longstanding debates. The central argument posits that a generalized understanding of technology is crucial for grasping literacy in its broadest context, encompassing any system of sign operations facilitating transmission or transcription. This universal aspect of literacy is portrayed as a constellation-effect that connects diverse fields—from atomic structures to DNA coding, human neural development to artificial intelligence, and simple binary processes to complex topologies—encompassing the entire textual landscape. The essays examine the contributions of notable figures such as Walter Ong, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Jacques Lacan, and others, providing a rich exploration of their ideas.