Abstract
Background In the early 1940s, two men from different disciplinary contexts converged on three concerns: information, its dynamics, and the pathologies stemming from those dynamics. Norbert Wiener studied these concerns from the context of mechanical and biological systems. Harold Innis viewed them from the perspective of political, social, and cultural systems.Analysis The purpose of this study is to establish this commonality, and consider its implications for two histories, those of the Cybernetic and Toronto Schools of Communication.Conclusion and implications For the Cybernetic School, the similarity suggests that the intellectual roots behind it are more extensive than scholars have appreciated. For the Toronto School, this study suggests that the concepts of information, increasing returns, and the flux of communication are neglected constituents of Innis’ thought.
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