Writing and Programming Languages

The debate between Goody and Watt and Van De Mieroop is basically about whether your writing system determines what kind of thinking you can do. Goody and Watt say the Greek alphabet enabled philosophy because it made texts permanent and specific. Once Homer was written down, people could compare different versions and spot contradictions, which created the critical distance needed for philosophical thinking. In oral cultures, stories just adapt to fit current social needs, like genealogies that change when families die out. But alphabetic writing locks things in place so “succeeding generations were faced with old distinctions in sharply aggravated form” (Goody 321-322). Van De Mieroop pushes back by showing that Babylonians had sophisticated philosophy too, just different. Cuneiform signs have multiple meanings, and this wasn’t a limitation but actually enabled complex interpretive thinking. In the Enūma eliš, Marduk’s names break down into layered meanings that reveal cosmic truths. “Reality had to be read and interpreted as if it were a text” (Van De Mieroop 10). So where Greeks developed formal logic with fixed definitions, Babylonians developed relational philosophy based on reading multiple meanings.

In this post, I explore how early forms of writing and record-keeping shaped the way societies organized knowledge, and how those ideas connect to modern computer languages and digital communication. I never realized writing was considered a form of technology because, throughout my life, technology has always felt separate from writing—especially anything physical or on paper. Seeing early writing systems like cuneiform framed as tools and innovations, rather than just ordinary parts of daily life, completely shifted my perspective. Writing functioned as a way to store and transmit information, much like how we now use computers, texting, and the internet to communicate and organize knowledge. Thinking about writing this way makes it feel less distant from modern digital tools and more like an early version of them.

Communication: A Limitation or a Liberation?

As language shifts from cuneiform to alphabetic writing, this change suggests that the physical structure of language directly shapes how its speakers communicate. As the boundaries of communication expand, humans are able to convey increasingly complex ideas and thoughts. The shift from Mesopotamian cuneiform to the Grecian alphabet represents a more logical system capable of defining abstract concepts.

Historian’s Views on Language

Historians like Jack Goody and Marc De Van Meiroop argue that the way people write can shape how they think. When comparing ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform to the later Greek alphabet, the historians show us that there is more to writing systems than just keeping records. For example scribes figured out how to organize these writings and people are allowed to look back at these writings over time, which develops logic and philosophy.

The Architecture of Thought: From Cuneiform to Code

The shift from the complex writing styles of Mesopotamia to that of the Greeks was more than just a more simple means of communication. It was a shift that altered the very ways of thinking. Marc Van De Mieroop talks about the ways in which they expressed themselves through a writing style such as cuneiform. This writing style made them more inclined to think in terms of specific examples rather than broad ideas. Goody and Watt explain that the simplicity of the Greek alphabet made it possible to move beyond memorizing lists to think about formal logic and philosophy. This shows that the very structure of a language is a foundation on which the mind operates.

This argument is really interesting when you think about computer languages today. If the Greek alphabet helped everyone learn to read and think analytically, then computer languages kind of do the exact opposite by creating a new class of people that are the only ones who know how to use them. When you use a programming language, you are working with a logic that is super rigid. While the Greeks could discuss philosophy and other things, a computer language only works if the code is 100% correct. This means that while ancient languages were about observing the world or discussing philosophy, computer languages are all about procedural commands. The language is used not just to talk about something, but to actually get it done automatically.

Ultimately, looking at all of these historical shifts proves that the tools which we use for communication greatly impact how we perceive the world. Goody and Watt note that it was the drive towards consistency that allowed us for the creation of a sense of history. Currently, our language consists of code and algorithms. This likely means that our minds are being trained to think that efficiency is more important than anything else. Just as the Greeks moved away from the Babylonian method of making a list to search for “universal truths,” it is possible that our current state of digital communication is leading us down a road where the only thing that is important is something that can be calculated by a computer.

Here is a picture of a Cuneiform Tablet:

Sources used

Goody, Jack, and Ian Watt. “The Consequences of Literacy.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 5, no. 3 (1963): 304–45. https://www.jstor.org/stable/177651?sid=primo

Van De Mieroop, Marc. Philosophy before the Greeks: The Pursuit of Truth in Ancient Babylonia. Princeton University Press, 2015. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1h4mhtb

How Writing Systems Enable Us

The claim that alphabetic writing helped enable Greek philosophical thought suggests that different kinds of writing can be easier to teach, understand, and communicate than others. Goody and Watt argue that this alphabetic writing allows for easier analysis because it breaks language into small, repeatable units that can be reordered and compared. That flexibility makes it easier to build step-by-step arguments, formal definitions, and systematic categories, which are central to philosophy (Goody and Watt). When compared to a blockier and less easily structured format like cuneiform, an alphabet is much better for making and refining claims, making it a more efficient and effective tool for philosophical thought. This also paints knowledge as something concrete, to be debated and argued with. Van de Mieroop’s description of the Mesopotamian writing system portrayed a system where texts could be edited and revised, demonstrating that their knowledge was considered adaptable (Van de Mieroop). This presents two opposing perspectives on authorship; one consisting of stable line-by-line structures, and the other of fluid texts that were cumulative of multiple contributors.

Mesopotamian

Marc Van De Mieroop discusses how Mesopotamian civilization developed in different ways. Cuneiform started as a system for keeping records and managing society. The nature of cuneiform is that every sign has multiple meanings and can be interpreted in different ways, depending a lot on context. This makes cuneiform super useful for laws and trade while but less helpful for abstract thinking. Mesopotamian writing was more focused on managing resources.

Development of Digital Media

As humans have evolved over time the more langauge is devolped and the smarter humans have become. Even nurses and doctors from 20 years ago say that school is harder now then it was back in their day. With evolution comes discoveries, everyday humans are discoverying something new and that makes the world such a cool place. What makes language possible is discoveries, with everything new thing found there has to be a new way to describe it. Innovation and techonology make language the way it was today and in the future new words will come around from innvations made today.

From the two readings, it seems that the language used in ancient Mesopotamia, specifically Babylon and Assur, was used much more for administrative and record-keeping purposes, as evidenced by the various myths and epic poems that have survived in addition to the records of business and laws that have survived. However, this doesn’t mean that the Greeks did anything better, it was merely different.

Welcome to HIST 30693, Technologies of History from Cuneiform to Coding. This course, taught at TCU in the Spring of 2026, introduces students to the history of communications technologies from the ancient world to the present day, all while engaging with the cutting-edge digital technologies that have made it possible for historians to communicate their research in new ways. Here is where you’ll find student work produced throughout the semester.