Media and the Mind: Art, Science, and Notebooks as Paper Machines, 1700-1830

Notebooks were paper machines that transformed knowledge on the page and in the mind during the Enlightenment. This book argues that notekeeping was a capability-building exercise that enabled young notekeepers to mobilize everyday handwritten and printed forms of material and visual media in a way that empowered them to judge and enact the enlightened principles they encountered in the classroom. It reinterprets John Lockes comparison of the mind to a blank piece of paper, the tabula rasa, and reveals that the cognitive skills required to make and use notebooks were not simply aids to reason but part of reason itself.

Format: Hardback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2023
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

A captivating exploration unfolds, unveiling the remarkable transformation of knowledge on both the written page and within the mind through the extraordinary medium of notebooks. Our perception of reason often remains static, perceiving it as a fixed body of facts that remains unaltered throughout time. However, during the Enlightenment, a different perspective emerged, recognizing reason as a dynamic and evolving process. This book delves into the question of how, why, and where these skills were acquired, focusing specifically on Scottish students residing during the long eighteenth century. It posits that notebooks, as paper machines, played a pivotal role in the development of notekeeping capabilities, empowering young notekeepers to harness the power of everyday handwritten and printed forms of material and visual media. Through this exercise, they gained the ability to judge and enact the enlightened principles they encountered in the classroom.

Spanning a diverse range of materials, from simple scribbles to intricate watercolor diagrams, this book reinterprets John Locke's famous comparison of the mind to a blank piece of paper, known as the tabula rasa. While this metaphor is widely recognized within the realm of the British Enlightenment, scholars have paid limited attention to its enduring success among those who employed it. Each chapter of the book employs a core notekeeping skill as a lens through which to explore the captivating world of material culture. By tracing the journey from the home to schools and ultimately to universities, the book reconstructs the intricate relationship between media and the mind, unveiling the cognitive skills required to make and use notebooks as integral components of reason itself.

In conclusion, this book offers a profound insight into the transformative power of notebooks as paper machines and the role they played in shaping knowledge on the page and within the mind during the Enlightenment. By delving into the origins and evolution of notekeeping skills, it sheds light on the ways in which individuals harnessed the power of media to cultivate their cognitive abilities and engage with the world around them.

Weight: 968g
Dimension: 163 x 237 x 42 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226183862