Chris Hedges: Empire of Illusion

Chris Hedges gave this outstanding, consciousness-expanding talk at the New School on Dec 17, 2009.

It is still relevant after more than 10 years, today..

Description:

Journalist Chris Hedges discusses his book 'Empire of Illusion: the End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle'. In it, he charts the dramatic rise of a post-literate society that craves fantasy, ecstasy, and illusion. 

Hedges argues we now live in two societies: 

• one, the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world and can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth; 
• the other, a growing majority, is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic where serious film and theater, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins.