Within the Heart of the Media

The Theory of Eternalism

Theories are like the media, they are all around us. The theory that I found most interesting after learning about McLuhan and the real meaning of media is Eternalism, the theory of time. It is a view according to which the past, present and future are all equally real, which relates to McLuhan’s Rear-view Mirror Theory. This theory brought out by McLuhan offers the question; why do we find it difficult to interpret the present when we are emerged in it? We look into the past because it is what is familiar to us, it is what we know best.

Eternalism comes from the Latin word aeturnus which means, an age. When looked at metaphysically it is the view, opposed to creationalism that the universe is eternal. It is also “a philosophical approach to the ontological nature of time” (Encyclopedia)

I believe that the theory of Eternalism and Marshal McLuhan’s Rear-view mirror concept is something that everyone, especially I have encountered at some point in their lives. For example I constantly find myself saying “oh I wish we had this when I was younger” when it comes to the gadgets or brand name clothes that the young teenagers of today have. Meaning that I often look to the past for ideas, memories and even answers, but then there is the present and the future that are also influential in our lives and are equally real as our past.

As a society we are always looking into our future especially when it comes to technology, we look to knew things that are about to be released into the world of innovative technology because we believe that these new things are there to make our lives better and further more, complete. We also find ourselves looking into the future on a day to day basis when it comes to aspirations and goals and what we hope will happen sooner or later in our personal lives.

So we look into the past for reminders and answers and we look into the future for what has not yet come and what we hope will come but that is not all, we are also subjected into the present because the present is what is happening right now at this point in time.

Time is just another dimension that future events are already there and there is no objective flow of time. In fact, time and the knowledge of past, present and future are very tricky things and is something that each person has their own views about and that is why the theory of Eternalism is something that is very interesting and plays a role in each of our lives.

Works Cited:
NationMaster.com. 6 Oct. 2008 .

posted by Brittany Pacitti's Mass Communications @ 7:00 PM