디지털 시대의 딜레마: 공감적 이성 능력의 함양과 문학

Abstract

The digital revolution we are experiencing has fundamentally transformed not only the way we communicate and interact with one another, but also the very structure of culture itself. While digital technology has brought numerous benefits—such as enhanced communication, increased access to information, improved efficiency across many sectors of society, and rapid globalization—its advancement has also introduced a range of challenges that need to be addressed. This paper focuses specifically on one of the most serious issues that could potentially undermine the foundation of democracy: the widespread deterioration of empathy and rational cognitive abilities across society, driven by the pervasive use of digital media. Another key to safeguarding democracy is the cultivation of critical thinking, which enables individuals to discern truth amidst the proliferation of fake news and misinformation. These two essential capacities for sustaining a healthy democratic society can be most effectively nurtured through literature. Although literary sensibility is steadily declining under the influence of digital media, this is precisely why we must reaffirm the importance of literature.