Has the development of written language changed, not only the way we record knowledge, but the way we think? Are pre-literate societies not primitive but profoundly different? This study shows that when memory is the basis of knowledge then formulas, lists, mnemonics and other mental structures engender a very human set of thought processes. When the written word introduces the notion of permanence then knowledge (and thought) is revolutionised. In a nutshell 'writing restructures consciousness'.
(Clive Yelf - bwl 35 July 2006 ) |
