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Vilem Flusser

Vilem Flusser Biography

Philosopher

Vilem Flusser (May 12, 1920 - November 27, 1991) was a philosopher and cultural theorist from Czechoslovakia, recognized for his contributions to media theory, photography, and the philosophy of technology. His ideas have significantly influenced the study of communication and culture.

Vilem Flusser (May 12, 1920 - November 27, 1991) was a philosopher and cultural theorist from Czechoslovakia, recognized for his contributions to media theory, photography, and the philosophy of technology. His ideas have significantly influenced the study of communication and culture.

Related Quotes

“The act of photography is like going on a hunt in which photographer and camera merge into one indivisible function. This is a hunt for new states of things, situations never seen before, for the improbable, for information.”

States Situation Information Photography Function Cameras Photographer Hunts Improbable Indivisible

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

“Photographers, it is true, do not work but they do do something: They create, process, and store symbols.”

Process Photographer Stores Symbols

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

“Both those taking snaps and documentary photographers... have not understood information. What they produce are camera memories, not information, and the better they do it, the more they prove the victory of the camera over the human being.”

Humans Memories Human Beings Information Produce Victory Prove Understood Cameras Photographer Documentaries Snaps

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

“He who writes must master the rules of grammar. He who shoots photographs needs only to follow the instructions as given by the camera.... This leads to the paradox that the more people shoot photographs, the less they are capable of deciphering them.”

People Needs Writing Given Masters Capable Cameras Photograph Paradox Instruction Grammar

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

“With every (informative) photograph, the photographic program becomes poorer by one possibility while the photographic universe becomes richer by one realization.”

Universe Possibility Program Photograph Realization Informative

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

“...there is no everyday activity which does not aspire to be photographed, filmed or videotaped. For there is a general desire to be endlessly remembered and endlessly repeatable.”

Doe Desire Activity Everyday Remembered Aspire

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

“Photographers encode their concepts as photographic images so as to give others information, so as to produce models for them and thereby to become immortal in the memory of others.”

Giving Memories Information Produce Models Concepts Photographer Immortal

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

“The task of a philosophy of photography is to reflect upon [the] possibility of freedom - and thus its significance - in a world dominated by apparatuses; to reflect upon the way in which, despite everything, it is possible for human beings to give significance to their lives in the face of the chance necessity of death. Such a philosophy is necessary because it is the only form of revolution left open to us.”

World Way Giving Humans Philosophy Faces Form Left Chance Human Beings Possibility Revolution Photography Tasks Despite Significance

Book:Towards a Philosophy of Photography

Source: Towards a Philosophy of Photography

About the Author

Born: May 12, 1920
Died: November 27, 1991
Known for: Philosopher
Quotes: 8

Related Topics

Photographer Cameras Information Giving Human Beings Humans Memories Photograph Photography Possibility

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Towards a Philosophy of PhotographyRelated source material

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