A Media-Theoretical Armamentarium

This essay provides an introductory account of the concept of pharmakon and its uses in different traditions relevant to media theory. First, we chart existing media-theoretical uses of the pharmakon and the main points of reference in this body of work, such as Plato, Jacques Derrida and Bernard S...

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Main Authors: Scott Wark, Yigit Soncul
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Simon Dawes, Centre d’histoire culturelle des sociétés contemporaines (CHCSC), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ) 2022-12-01
Series:Media Theory
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Online Access:https://journalcontent.mediatheoryjournal.org/index.php/mt/article/view/879
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author Scott Wark
Yigit Soncul
author_facet Scott Wark
Yigit Soncul
author_sort Scott Wark
collection DOAJ
description This essay provides an introductory account of the concept of pharmakon and its uses in different traditions relevant to media theory. First, we chart existing media-theoretical uses of the pharmakon and the main points of reference in this body of work, such as Plato, Jacques Derrida and Bernard Stiegler. Second, we present the alternative genealogies of the pharmakon in reference to material, chemical and medical contexts. Taking the approach Galen developed to the pharmakon in the context of medical practice in Classical antiquity as its guide, this section presents an alternate history of the concept in order to illustrate how else it might be conceived and used. Finally, we introduce the contributions to this special issue which, as a whole, explicate a range of “pharmacologies” and “pharmacologics” available to media theory.  
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language English
publishDate 2022-12-01
publisher Simon Dawes, Centre d’histoire culturelle des sociétés contemporaines (CHCSC), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)
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series Media Theory
spelling doaj-art-0b9c0664cefa41cfabd0f98f0cd7e63e2025-08-20T03:51:09ZengSimon Dawes, Centre d’histoire culturelle des sociétés contemporaines (CHCSC), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)Media Theory2557-826X2022-12-016210.70064/mt.v6i2.879A Media-Theoretical ArmamentariumScott WarkYigit Soncul This essay provides an introductory account of the concept of pharmakon and its uses in different traditions relevant to media theory. First, we chart existing media-theoretical uses of the pharmakon and the main points of reference in this body of work, such as Plato, Jacques Derrida and Bernard Stiegler. Second, we present the alternative genealogies of the pharmakon in reference to material, chemical and medical contexts. Taking the approach Galen developed to the pharmakon in the context of medical practice in Classical antiquity as its guide, this section presents an alternate history of the concept in order to illustrate how else it might be conceived and used. Finally, we introduce the contributions to this special issue which, as a whole, explicate a range of “pharmacologies” and “pharmacologics” available to media theory.   https://journalcontent.mediatheoryjournal.org/index.php/mt/article/view/879pharmakonmaterialitytechnologychemicalsPlatoGalen
spellingShingle Scott Wark
Yigit Soncul
A Media-Theoretical Armamentarium
Media Theory
pharmakon
materiality
technology
chemicals
Plato
Galen
title A Media-Theoretical Armamentarium
title_full A Media-Theoretical Armamentarium
title_fullStr A Media-Theoretical Armamentarium
title_full_unstemmed A Media-Theoretical Armamentarium
title_short A Media-Theoretical Armamentarium
title_sort media theoretical armamentarium
topic pharmakon
materiality
technology
chemicals
Plato
Galen
url https://journalcontent.mediatheoryjournal.org/index.php/mt/article/view/879
work_keys_str_mv AT scottwark amediatheoreticalarmamentarium
AT yigitsoncul amediatheoreticalarmamentarium
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