Socrates vs. the Written Word (2011)
4 hours ago
- The author posits that a universal human tendency to resist or criticize progress is tied to our makeup, not to the specific technology or change itself.
- Socrates, in Plato's Phaedrus (c. 370 BC), argued that writing would weaken memory and produce only the appearance of wisdom, not true understanding gained through dialogue.
- The 1880s saw similar objections to the telephone, claiming it lacked the written record of the telegraph, though proponents argued that writing messages before and after calling could solve the issue.
- Modern preferences for texting over phone calls mirror historical patterns, with younger generations viewing calls as intrusive, while older critics lament the loss of efficiency or tone.
- The author notes that many historical critiques of new technologies (printing press, telephone, etc.) are echoed today, but often miss the value of both old and new methods coexisting.