About
Vilém Flusser (1920-1991) was a Czech-born philosopher and media theorist, naturalized Brazilian. Born in Prague to a Jewish intellectual family, he fled Nazi occupation in 1939 and lost his entire family in concentration camps. After a brief stay in London, he emigrated to Brazil in 1940, where he worked in industry while pursuing philosophy. He lectured at the University of São Paulo from 1959 and published his first book in 1963. Due to the military dictatorship, he left Brazil in 1972 and settled in France in 1981. Writing in multiple languages, he developed original ideas on communication, photography, and the telematic society. His major work, 'Towards a Philosophy of Photography' (1983), has been translated into over 14 languages.
* 1920-05-12 — † 1991-11-27
Major works
- Língua e realidade (1963)essay
- Für eine Philosophie der Fotografie (1983)essay
- Ins Universum der technischen Bilder (1985)essay
- Die Schrift. Hat Schreiben Zukunft? (1987)essay
- Vampyroteuthis Infernalis (1987)essay
Key milestones
- 1939Fled the Nazi occupation of Prague and moved to London.
- 1959Appointed Lecturer in Philosophy of Science at the University of São Paulo.
- 1983Publication of 'Für eine Philosophie der Fotografie', his major work.
Themes
Philosophy of communicationMedia theoryTelematic societyPhotographyDigital culture
Sources: id.loc.gov · cambridge.org · flusserstudies.net