Reading Journal Assignment
Epistemology can be referred to as the theory of knowledge that entails differentiating justified beliefs and people’s opinions. Berman believed that the term epistemology relied on the creation of a tight-fitting view of the world related to corporate propaganda. It entails the assumption that how things are perceived is part of propaganda. Publicity refers to biased information that may be used to support point of view or political view. In the case of David Berman article, propaganda is viewed as the main source of power due to the biased information circulating in people. Orwellian is a description of a situation or condition in a society that is destructive to the welfare of the people. In the article, Orwellian is related to hiding information or obliterating its true meaning by delivering it in neutral means.
In his article on David Berman’s next project, Schmall’s main argument revolves around Berman’s decision to become his father’s opponent and embarrassment him so that he may quit his business. He plans to achieve his objectives through a documentary film of his father. An assumption that can be derived from this story is the association of Berman’s previous failures and his current mission to destroy his father’s reputation through the documentary. Although he does not like the idea of creating the video just as he did not like writing, he has made it his mission to become his father’s nemesis.
In the article, Berman views his father as the evilest man in the country based on the ethical standpoint of the society. Pathos in the article is seen in how the mistakes that his father made as a highly-paid PR affected the decisions that people made in their daily life. These factors appeal to people’s emotion, making his mission to reveal his father’s mistakes through the documentary seem less wicked. The decision to expose his father’s evils is also be viewed as the logic point in the article.
David Berman relies on his past failures to fuel the hatred that he has towards his father’s evil deeds. Although he is not passionate about creating the documentary, he focuses on the project as a way of forgetting about his failures. This can be seen as running away from his issues. The article made me think of the political decisions made by people in leadership positions and the effects of their choices on the lives of ordinary citizens. I consider this is a valid point in the article as it explains Berman’s actions and decision to focus on the documentary.