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The Myth of Thamus and Theuth

Posted to Gurteen Knowledge-Log by David Gurteen on 30 August 2016

 



Title

The Myth of Thamus and Theuth
WeblogGurteen Knowledge Log
Knowledge LetterAppears in the Gurteen Knowledge Letter issue: 194
Posted DateTuesday 30 August 2016 16:05 GDT
Posted ByDavid Gurteen

Have you ever considered the invention of writing to have been a bad thing?
But Thamus replied that, as the “father of writing,” Theuth's affection for writing had kept him from acknowledging the truth about writing.

In fact, Thamus asserted, writing increases forgetfulness rather than memory.

Instead of internalizing and understanding things, students will rely on writing as a potion for reminding.

Moreover, students will be exposed to many ideas without properly thinking about them.

Thus, they will have an “appearance of wisdom” while “for the most part they will know nothing” (Phaedrus, 275a-b).

...

Socrates used the illustration to point out that writing alone has no understanding of itself and “continues to signify just the same thing forever” (Phaedrus, 275d-e).

Nor does it discern its audience nor offer self explanation. Socrates instead favoured conversation, “the living, breathing discourse of a man who knows, of which the written one can be fairly called an image” (Phaedrus, 276a)


Think again - what a fascinating view point of Socrates :-)



If you are interested in Knowledge Management, the Knowledge Café or the role of conversation in organizational life then you my be interested in this online book I am writing on Conversational Leadership
David Gurteen


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