A Philosophical S tudy of the Role of Graphic Design in Media according to the Frankfurt School’s Theory of Culture Indus try (Kulturindus trie)

Media and its influence on culture has been one of the issues considered by the thinkers of Frankfurt School. Their line of thinking and research based on the criticism of contemporary human situation from macro and micro aspects led to the expression of theories concerning the emergence and influence of capitalism. Through critical considerations, they developed a theory called culture indus try (Kulturindus trie) regarding the domination of capitalism in communications, culture and art. By analysis of culture in indus trial society, they reached the conclusion that mass media have led to the combination of art, philosophy and economy and turned the cultural values to a commodity. Moreover, in the s tudies of art from a critical point of view in Frankfurt School, two types of art are raised: original art and reproducible and consumer art. Graphic design as a reproducible art, in addition to having an aes thetic aspect, due to economic relations of contemporary capitalism has had a considerable share in the domain of media and promotion and expansion of capitalis t hegemony. It has es tablished its own place as an art in the domain of media within the economic sys tem. In the present s tudy the author has sought to s tudy the media role of graphic design as one of the mos t important factors of information and dissemination of social science in the context of culture indus try and at the same time to assay the artis tic aspects of this field.