On The Public

The media often talk about public opinion the American or British publicor the moviegoing public. A public can hold an opinion and be divided. What isthe public... » 

The media often talk about public opinion the American or British publicor the moviegoing public. A public can hold an opinion and be divided. What isthe public and where did it come from? Is there one public or many? Is the veryidea of the public a myth? In this fascinating book Alastair Hannay exploresthese questions and unpacks a much talked about but little understoodphenomenon. He begins by tracing the origins of the public back to ancientRome before arguing that the idea of a public sphere is closely linked to thebirth of democracy in the eighteenth century. He also reflects on theEnlightenment and the origins of public opinion as well as considering therole of the media in creating and manipulating the public and asks whether thevery idea of the public might be uprooted and undermined by the Internet andglobal technology. Engaging and controversial in equal measure On the Publicalso draws on famous thinkers who have written about the public such asKierkegaard Hannah Arendt John Dewey and Jurgen Habermas. «