The Image of Witness (original) (raw)

Beginning with the theory of image governance, or the idea that images govern our interaction with reality, this study posits that witness operates as a governing image with unique governing characteristics. To understand these unique characteristics, contributions from nine disciplines and popular culture are woven together to construct a detailed moving image of witness based on how the term and other supporting terms are most often used in conversation, literature, art, and other media. Expressed in this moving image is the progression or series of movements occurring in time, space, and society which are implied by the term witness and supporting terms. Breaking up witness into this series of movements allowed a careful interpretation of the image and a detailed look into how the image governs reality, and especially how it governs communication. Analysis revealed a two-part progression: an event (which is experienced by a witness or witnesses) followed by the process of making that event public for a community—a relational process which involves the witness and the community in the shared work of producing public knowledge. This process, Event / Publication, was further broken into 24 sub-movements, each of which produced their own unique governing effects on reality and communication. Witness appeared as a complete act rather than as one of its many mistaken identities, such as law, trial, religion, advocacy, and protest. While these categories and many others play a role in witness, the image appearing in this study rejects these reductive explanations and instead incorporates them into the greater texture and diversity of witness as it has been used throughout history. Major contributions include the confirmation of abundant governing elements in images at close detail, a complete theoretical model of witness, greater insight into the subversive structure of witness, a revised early history of witness, and the use of behavioral science to challenge prevailing interpretations of witness. Major findings include the power of witness to draw assumed knowledge into the testimonial genre, as well as the absolute testimonial requirements of judgment, faith, mutual dependency, partial surrender of power, and nonviolence.