The English Alphabet ,
This was a writing system from Ancient Egypt that combined both logographic and alphabetic
elements, but lacked the ability to be descriptive because each character of this writing style represented a word, which is where the alphabet
took over. Hieroglyphics could only communicate a broad message but the
alphabet created the ability to be able to be descriptive whilst writing as well as creating greater emotional depth. Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian Philosopher of communication theory quote about the success of the alphabet "The alphabet was so successful because it was easier to learn". This quote reflects the ease of learning the english alphabet compared to Hieroglyphics of the Ancient Egyptians.
The alphabet has greatly shaped society by granting the ability to descriptively write and record historical events and has given society the ability to remember and recall specific details. It has helped to shape the english language as we know it and has created a common language that can be understood throughout the world. This has created a more oral and written lifestyle throughout the world rather then our historically visual society. Before the Alphabet was created, more than 4000 years ago, humans lived in a mostly visual world. Dating back to the Cave days 40,000 years ago pictures were drawn to represent something weather it be food or animals and from these, hieroglyphics eventually came about. Whilst these forms of recording events took place and description lacked, they were still recording an event, but the details could not be described.
As the world has formed into a written world there are so many positives that writing (which stemmed from the alphabet) achieves.
As the world has formed into a written world there are so many positives that writing (which stemmed from the alphabet) achieves.
-It objectifies ideas!
-It remembers a concept of knowledge free from
memory whilst creating interpretation
-It invents reading as the alphabet invented
writing
Although these positive aspects come out of the creation of writing there is also a common critique of writing expressed by Andrew Robinson in the "Origins of Writing (1999)
"Writing and literacy are generally seen as forces for good, But there is a dark-side to the spread of writing that is present throughout its history if somewhat less obvious. Writing has been used to tell lies as well as truth, to bamboozle and exploit as well as to educate, to make minds lazy as well as to stretch them".
Even with this critique the invention of the alphabet has helped to create the current technologies that are used in todays media. Facebook and twitter
A great quote by the philosopher Ong that explains the creation of the alphabet and writing and the effect it has on society is "Writing moves speech from the oral to a new sensory world, that of vision, it transforms speech as well as thought". Ong 1982:85
In conclusion, The creation of the alphabet as a communication technology is one of the most significant technologies in our world today and has had a profound effect on the function of todays world and has helped create most of the technologies that we see today in some way from small to large. The Alphabet will always have a large impact on our future and history and is something to never be forgotten.
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