China and the Wireless Undertow: Media as Wave Philosophy

In the 21 st century city wireless waves constitute an imperceptible, immersive, all-encompassing environment. Nowhere is this more so than in China, where a hyperdense network of mobile media have restructured daily life. This book re-imagines the relationship between China and wirelessness by synthesizing contemporary media theory with modern Chinese thought. It focuses specifically on the work of three critical figures: Tan Sitong 譚嗣同 (1865–1898),Xiong Shili 熊十力 (1885–1968) and Mou Zongsan 牟宗三 (1909–1995).

The book connects theoretical explorations with an examination of China’s historical relationship with electromagnetic technology (from the emergence of the telegraph, through Shenzhen’s cell phone manufacturing, to debates over Internet censorship and the ubiquity of WeChat and QR code surveillance). China and the Wireless Undertow offers a new theoretical framework –  focused upon a philosophy of the wave – with which to understand China’s intimate involvement with our current wireless age.

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