Chapter 1: The Essence of Language

Language stands as one of humanity's most remarkable achievements, yet it also serves as a potential vulnerability.

We engage with the world through language, often conversing with ourselves, pets, or even inanimate objects when alone. While it's widely accepted that many animals possess a degree of consciousness and intelligence, it remains challenging for us to envision their thoughts without the framework of language.

Some animals, like whales, exhibit advanced communication methods, using intricate "songs" that travel great distances. However, humans uniquely excel in linguistic capabilities, having created a multitude of languages and dialects. Our skill in verbal communication has expanded into written forms, enabling us to convey messages visually on paper and digital screens.

Words are integral to our identity. They allow us to share thoughts across vast spaces and times, facilitating near-instantaneous exchanges today. Without language, our ability to dominate the planet would likely have been compromised.

Yet, this linguistic separation from other species complicates our understanding of raw thought and emotion. Many of us question whether genuine thoughts or feelings can exist without language to articulate them. For instance, a dog might yelp when in pain, but it quickly recovers, living in the moment—a state seemingly only achievable without a memory shaped by words.

While dogs can comprehend a significant number of words, the extent of their cognitive processes in language is unclear. Nonetheless, they and other animals demonstrate the capacity for problem-solving and even mourning. If these cognitive abilities existed before language as we know it, it suggests that language may not be essential for awareness or interaction with the environment. In fact, language might even alienate us from our surroundings rather than foster a deeper connection.

Psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist, in his work "The Matter With Things," references Søren Kierkegaard’s assertion that "immediacy is reality, and speech is ideality." He argues that language can misrepresent reality, as it relies on abstractions.

This skepticism regarding language's ability to convey truth isn't new. Socrates, in Plato's "Phaedrus," lamented the detrimental impact of writing on memory, warning that it could lead to forgetfulness. He recounted a myth where one god criticized writing as an obstacle to genuine understanding, arguing that it provided only an illusion of wisdom, misleading students into believing they possessed knowledge when they were, in fact, ignorant.

Interestingly, Jesus also chose not to write his teachings down. Whether due to illiteracy or an alignment with Socratic concerns about writing, he preferred parables to communicate moral lessons. By indicating that he spoke in parables, Jesus conveyed that the essence of the story was not in its factual accuracy but in its underlying message.

This contrasts sharply with the literal interpretations of the Bible by some modern followers, who mistake the written words for objective truth, disregarding their symbolic nature. McGilchrist reminds us that language often fractures our experiences into simplistic components, distorting the richness of reality.

Chapter 2: The Limitations of Written Language

As I reflect on my monthly book club, I've discovered many novels that have expanded my reading horizons. Authors like Abraham Verghese remind us that "To see the miraculous in the ordinary is a more precious gift than prophecy." Similarly, Anthony Doerr, in "Cloud Cuckoo Land," illustrates through a child's memory that "what's so beautiful about a fool is that a fool never knows when to give up."

These narratives, whether seen as myths or fiction, have always been intended to convey deeper truths rather than literal accounts. They invite readers to engage, reinterpret, and uncover their meanings over time. By the time of Christ, the written word had already led many to focus excessively on factual accuracy, overshadowing the moral teachings embedded within parables.

The Pharisees, noted for their rigid adherence to the written text, often sought to challenge Jesus with contradictions. Their literalism not only posed difficulties for Jesus but also mirrors a broader societal trend where nuance and context are often dismissed as indecision. The late philosopher Marshall McLuhan argued that the written word creates a type of hypnosis, as it engages only the visual sense.

In written form, words become static and devoid of the dynamic interaction necessary for deep understanding. True dialogue requires active engagement, something increasingly rare in our screen-dominated interactions.

According to McLuhan, figures like Thomas Aquinas recognized that the essence of teaching is lost in writing, which cannot replicate the interplay of minds found in verbal exchanges. While written language has undeniably advanced our ability to share stories and knowledge, it risks becoming an end in itself rather than a means to foster meaningful connections.

Carl Jung encapsulated this idea, suggesting that while we may comprehend equations and logical thoughts, there exists a deeper, more primal way of thinking through symbols and images that predate written language. This intrinsic form of understanding remains vital to our human experience.

REFERENCES

Canine researcher puts dogs' intelligence on par with 2-year-old human (apa.org)

Jung, C. G. (1976). The Portable Jung (J. Campbell, Ed.; R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Penguin Books.

McGilchrist, I. (2021). The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World. Perspectiva Press.

Socrates on the Invention of Writing and the Relationship of Writing to Memory: History of Information

The truth about animal grief | BBC Earth