Being and Communication

Abstract

A translation of “Ser y comunicación”, originally presented at the seminar “Philosophy and Journalism” at the University of Navarra in the academic year 1984-85. It was then published as a chapter in Jorge Yarce (editor), Filosofía de la comunicación, Eunsa, Pamplona 1986, pp. 61-75.

This text investigates the metaphysical and anthropological foundations of communication. From a metaphysical perspective, the foundation of communica- tion is to be found in the conversion of the metaphysical transcendentals: being, truth and the good. This conversion takes place only in metaphysical realism, which maintains that the principal transcendental is being, and that it is the foundation of the truth and of the good. Thus, all three are transcendentals, but none of them is isolated from the others; furthermore there can also be communication between them. From the anthropological perspective, the person is understood as relation, and communication is seen as being deeply proper and intimate to her. This can be appreciated in the communication between the Persons of the Divine Trinity. A consequence of this understanding of the person and communication is that mass media must not simply be of the masses and for the masses since this depersonalizes the human.