Who among the following theorists believes that the proliferation of television images is producing a cultural condition akin to 'historical amnesia'?

Correct option is C

Explanation:

The correct answer is Frederic Jameson.

Fredric Jameson is a prominent Marxist political theorist and literary critic. He is renowned for his critical analysis of contemporary culture and postmodernism.

According to Jameson, postmodernism leads to a fragmentation of experience, where historical context is increasingly obscured, resulting in a cultural condition that he refers to as historical amnesia.

In his influential work Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (1991), Jameson argued that media, especially television, contributes to a loss of historical consciousness, making it difficult for people to connect with the historical roots of their present.

The proliferation of images and media spectacles in contemporary culture leads to a flattening of historical experience, where the complexity of history becomes reduced to shallow, fragmented representations. These images do not allow for deep engagement with the past, contributing to historical amnesia.

Information Booster:

Fredric Jameson: Known for his Marxist critique of culture, Jameson examined the impact of capitalism and postmodernism on our understanding of history. His argument centers around how postmodern culture (which includes television, advertisements, and mass media) creates a superficial understanding of the past. This superficiality distorts the actual complexities of historical events, resulting in historical amnesia.

Postmodernism and Historical Amnesia:

Jameson suggests that postmodernism, characterized by the fragmentation of experience and the prevailing dominance of media representations, undermines our ability to understand and connect with historical realities.

This results in amnesia—the inability to remember or critically engage with history.

Media's Role:

The overabundance of images and media spectacles in modern society disconnects people from the lived experiences of the past. This phenomenon obscures historical consciousness and leads to the flattening of experience—a hallmark of historical amnesia as discussed by Jameson.

Capitalism’s Impact:

Jameson links this historical amnesia to capitalism, which, in its late phase (late capitalism), has created a culture of superficiality, where the meaning of historical events is often commodified, leading to a loss of depth in understanding.

Comparison with Baudrillard:

While Jean Baudrillard also discusses the concept of hyperreality and simulacra (where reality is replaced by images), Jameson’s focus is more on the socio-economic structures that create historical amnesia, particularly capitalism and postmodern culture.

Additional Knowledge:

Jean Baudrillard:

Baudrillard's work on hyperreality and simulacra touches upon images replacing reality. His focus is on how media and images replace reality, creating a new reality of their own.

Ihab Hassan:

Hassan focused on postmodernism and its effects on cultur. His work primarily discussed the transition from modernism to postmodernism.

Daniel Bell:

Daniel Bell is known for his work on the post-industrial society and the shift in economic structures. His concerns were more focused on social and economic shifts in society.