AI and language – The daily blog of behavioral and cognitive economics

When Writing Becomes Detached From Thought

There is an old argument about writing that suddenly feels less old than it should. In fact, I think it’s surprisingly relevant. In Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates tells the story of Theuth. He’s the Egyptian figure credited with inventing writing. Theuth offers it as a gift, a powerful tool that will aid in memory and make people wiser. But King Thamus isn’t persuaded. Writing, he says, will not deepen wisdom at all. It will weaken memory by moving knowledge outside the mind, and it will leave people with the appearance of understanding rather than the real thing. ….[READ]