The Science of the Commons: A Note on Communication Methodology

The Science of the Commons proposes a new mode of comprehending communication. Leaving aside a sociological and linguistic model that defines communication as a process of information transmission, this book introduces an innovative ethical-political understanding of communication as a connection of the common, the cohesive tie of the community. Muniz Sodré critiques the weak ethical and political aspirations of the field of communication and suggests the construction of a ‘post-disciplinary’ science, set against the classic disciplines of sociology, anthropology and economics, which resists a global ideology of financialization. Moving the field of communication beyond media studies to a philosophical reflection on the roots of the community, The Science of the Commons is a ground-breaking book that offers fresh perspectives for the study of communication worldwide. 

Muniz Sodré is Professor Emeritus at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a visiting professor at several European and Latin American universities. He has published over 30 books on communication.  

David Hauss is a translator based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has translated for a variety of companies and organizations, including think tanks, NGOs, universities, Netflix, and Globo. His work has ranged from academic and fiction books to screenplays and short stories.