Descriptions of Culture in the Media as a Search for its True Image

Keywords: culture, media, truth

Abstract

The article confirms the thesis that culture is understood in various ways. There are people who do not know culture and those who want to know more about it. Such a desire stems from the need to solve the problem that arises from different understandings of culture and from the fact that what some people call culture, others call anti-culture. The fact that the media are used in the search for the true image of culture is presented in the article through an analysis of the messages presented in the media. If we assume that the role of the media is to help people to discover the truth by discussing issues that are relevant to people’s lives, we can say that they truly undertake such a task when it comes to culture. The media emphasize the fact that values such as truth, goodness, and beauty are present in culture. All of these values come from God and lead to him. They make mankind need and search for culture continuously. Thanks to them, we can experience holistic development and understand more deeply what the essence of true humanity is. Without these divine values, human life—marked by false anthropocentrism—will always be filled with activities that can be described as “anti-culture.”

On the basis of selected texts, the article demonstrates the dependence between recognizing true culture and accepting responsibility for it. This responsibility is expressed in a constant effort to broaden one’s horizons of thought, to engage in various areas of life, and to create—through true uni­versal fraternity—various communities. This way, the proper development of not only culture, but also of humanity can take place. It is also the path which leads to an effective defense against secular humanism, which is so hostile to religion.

Author Biography

Paweł Maciaszek, Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow

Father Dr. hab., born in 1965, priest of the Często­chowa archdiocese, didactic and research lecturer in the Faculty of Phi­losophy at the Jesuit Ignatianum University in Krakow, director of the Institute of Journalism, and lecturer of Liturgics at the Higher Seminary and the Higher Theological Institute in Częstochowa. His areas of scho­larly interest include Catholic media in Poland, evangelism through social media, and Christian culture in the media.

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Published
2020-03-01
How to Cite
[1]
Maciaszek, P. 2020. Descriptions of Culture in the Media as a Search for its True Image. Perspectives on Culture. 28, 1 (Mar. 2020), 101-114. DOI:https://doi.org/10.35765/pk.2020.2801.09.