EPISTEMIC “FOUNDATIONS”: PRE-MODERN

Quote: Plato's was the time of great change from instruction in elevated, rhythmic public speech to the predominance of prose speech What formerly could only be recited or sung, can now be pinned down, penned down. The script can be copied, one copy serving as the source for another. The scroll can freeze "materials" for a teacher. It is not the speech but the language of the past that can be made present (p.23).

Summary: In Plato’s time, an improvement occurred in the transmission of information and learning, information no longer needs to be recollected either publicly or by learning rhythms or cadences as a mnemonics device. The information could now be written down and fixed. This fixed material could also be faithfully reproduced and verified, thus resulting in an authentic transmission to others. It is not the “mechanics” (speech) of writing, i.e. how it is done; but the “system of symbols” (language) which gives meaning to the content that is available for learning.

Extension: This change has several double-edged implications. First, writing down information gives it a broader audience for example scholars in Athens could send scholars in Carthage information and it would not be changed by the messenger. However, writing limited the sphere of information i.e. one has to be able to “read” to receive the message. As discussed fixing or pinning the information down had a negative effect on memory, over the years people have not had to “remember” in the same way that they did before. Again, this can have another side to it, instead of “regurgitating” information, which could easily be looked up people could now spend their time conceptualizing. By fixing the word down on paper it appears to give it some form of “truth”. This is problematic in two ways first it is the “truth” of the victors, the power structure etc. that is being fixed not all voices are being heard. Second it can foster a sense of compliance, these people must be write as they already know more about the topic because they were able to write about it.