General Semantics and Politics

Designed for those discovering general semantics for the first time as well as for scholars who are well versed in it, this collection provides vital analytic tools for understanding the contemporary world of politics. It brings together essays that span a wide range of concerns, including the underpinnings of democracy, the challenges of media bias and the two-party system, the difficulties in thinking about money and inequality, the struggle against polarization, how to deal with conspiracy theories, and, along the way, provides ample resources for engaging in fair and rational dialogue. In today's world, where so many people are confused and disgruntled, and perhaps on the verge of giving up on the possibility of constructive political discourse, this collection is a breath of fresh air. It reminds us that hope is not lost so long as we are willing to openly and honestly think about what is going on. Essential reading for anyone interested in general semantics, the contemporary world of politics, and/or the connection between them, it is a collection not to be missed.

Corey Anton (Ph.D., Purdue University) is Professor of Communication Studies at Grand Valley State University and a Fellow of the International Communicology Institute. He is author of Selfhood and Authenticity (2001, SUNY Press), Sources of Significance: Worldly Rejuvenation and Neo-Stoic Heroism (2010, Purdue University Press), Communication Uncovered: General Semantics and Media Ecology (2010, IGS Press), How Non-being Haunts Being: On Possibilities, Morality, and Death Acceptance (2020, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press), and A.EYE CANDY: A Museum of Imaginary Robots and Other Digital Delights (2023, IGS Press). He is the editor of Valuation and Media Ecology: Ethics, Morals, and Laws (2010, Hampton Press), the co-editor, with Lance Strate, of the collection Korzybski And... (2012, IGS Press), and co-editor, with Robert K. Logan and Lance Strate, of the collection, Taking Up McLuhan's Cause (2017, Intellect Publishing). A past Editor of the journal Explorations in Media Ecology and Past President of the Media Ecology Association, Anton currently serves as Vice President of the Institute of General Semantics, and on the editorial boards of The Atlantic Journal of Communication, ETC, New Explorations, and Explorations in Media Ecology.

Thom Gencarelli (Ph.D., New York University) is Professor of Communication, Sound & Media Arts at Manhattan University in Riverdale, New York. He is a Past President of the Media Ecology Association, the New York State Communication Association, and the New Jersey Communication Association, Treasurer and member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of General Semantics, and the current Editor of the IGS journal ETC: A Review of General Semantics. He is co-editor (with Brian Cogan) of Baby Boomers and Popular Culture: An Inquiry into America's Most Powerful Generation and author of the forthcoming Searching for the Right Notes: Essays on Media, Music, and Meaning. He is a recipient of multiple awards including, in 2023, the J. Talbott Winchell Award for Outstanding Contributions and Service to the Cause of General Semantics from the IGS. He is also a songwriter, musician, and producer, and has released four albums with his ensemble bluerace: World is Ready (2009), Beautiful Sky (2013), Mistral (2019), and INDYeGO (2024).