Breakthroughs in Communications: Language and Writing

In the first salon of the series hosted by Alex Criddle, we’ll go back in time to the origins of communication and the gradual development of complex linguistic systems, how language played an instrumental role in shaping human cognition, social structures, and cultural evolution.

Linguistic breakthroughs enabled Homo sapiens to develop a complex system for transmitting knowledge, fostering cooperation, and co-creating shared meanings and narratives. We’ll underscore the pivotal role of language in the human experience, highlighting its indispensable nature as a key driver of our species’ remarkable adaptability, societal cohesion, and intellectual development throughout the history and into the present day.

One particular writing breakthrough of note that will be discussed is the invention of the printing press and how widespread literacy and writing changed the way humans relate to ideas and history. We’ll also look at the role of language in communicating ideas, representing the world, and how dialogue is possible. Another facet to explore will be the use of language in other species and how cross-species language functions.

• An Interview with Terrence Deacon: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain
• How Forests Think: Toward an Anthropology Beyond the Human by Eduardo Kohn
• Experimentum Vocis by Giorgio Agamben
• The History of Writing