Authentic Encountering of Others and Learning through Media‐Based Public Discussion: A Phenomenological Analysis

Functioning pluralistic democracies require their citizens to confront different views in public discussion in such a way that they can both learn about and learn from one another. Today, the forum for everyday public discussion is frequently the participatory digital media, such as social media, video sites, electronic newspapers and various kinds of blogs. However, despite its educational potential, it would seem that rather than resulting in learning and social development, public discussion often produces aggression, antagonistic behaviour and polarisation in our societies. Several philosophers and educational theorists have stated that the problem of incivility in the digital participatory media results from the nature of the media as a form of interaction: the media-pessimistic phenomenologists argue that, due to the lack of other’s physical presence, our interactions remain superficial, derivative and inauthentic. The implication of this argument is that without the physical presence of the other, no advanced learning is possible through media-based discussion. In challenging this conclusion, I argue that these analyses have misinterpreted phenomenological theory and have resulted in fallacious arguments. I show that phenomenological theory, as it relates to what constitutes our social experiences, indicates that the core of encountering others is the same in both physical presence and through the media. It is the other’s expressions and not the presence of their physical bodies that is central. Based on the phenomenological analyses of Husserl and Stein, I conclude that there is no reason for why even advanced learning should not be possible via media-based public discussion.