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:

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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