A CAIXA PRETA, O MUNDO CODIFICADO, E A IDOLATRIA DA IMAGEM NA ERA VIRTUAL

Abstract

Abstract: This article examines Vilém Flusser’s theories in light of the digital present, focusing on the concepts of the Black Box, the coded world, and the idolatry of the image. It argues that technological devices are not mere tools but mediators of reality that condition behavior and reshape human experience, fostering sophisticated forms of alienation. From a Flusserian perspective, we contend that freedom in the digital world depends on a critical capacity to understand and question the codes that structure technological life. By reinterpreting the opacity of contemporary devices and the rise of techno‑images, the paper highlights the urgency of a philosophical inquiry into the cultural, perceptual, and ethical implications of digital mediation, and into the practices of counter‑use that enable subjects to “play against the apparatus.”

Keywords: Vilém Flusser; black box; coded world; techno‑image; idolatry of the image; philosophy of technology; digital culture.