BATTLEFIELD OF THE FUTURE

BATTLEFIELD OF THEFUTURE
simultaneously the process by which a substantive, real-world
community of "like-minded" persons is created, developed and
sustained . Simply, it is the glue which binds a society together.
At the most trivial level, the moral purpose of substantive
communication can be seen in contemporary American efforts
to remove sexist or racist language from accepted use . At a
more serious level, the debates in American society about
prayer in the public schools illustrate a recognition of the
substantive and formative nature of communication in society,
as "private religious views," in the view of many, must not
corrupt the public school formation of character for life in
pluralistic, modern America .
Finally, any real world society rests on the substantive
communication and understanding among its members .
Again, in Voegelin's terms, society is no mere external
structure of relationships ; it is a "cosmion," a universe of
meaning "illuminated with meaning from within by the human
beings who continuously create and bear it as the mode and
condition of their self-realization ."' 1
The efforts of several nations such as China, Iran, or Saudi
Arabia to insulate their societies from the effects of the global
communications network illustrate their awareness that their
cultures and societies may depend on a shared, substantive
universe of discourse distinctive to their societies .
Even within the West, the French believe the continued
existence of France as a distinctive society organized for action
in history may require state intervention in the substantive
content of communication within society .
12 That France seeks
to limit the percentage of foreign broadcast material and
American films in Europe illustrates the seriousness with
which they consider the substantive nature of communication .
Voegelin's second construct, identifying the pragmatic
function of communication in society, is reasonably
straightforward . Pragmatic communication is defined by its
goal and consists of the universe of techniques designed to
influence other persons to behave in ways the communicator
wishes . Only behavior matters . Most political and commercial
communication is merely pragmatic . It is usually indifferent
to the substantive moral content of the communication and
intends to mold perception, and consequently behavior, to the
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