The Western World, in the Midst of Change: From Speaking to Writing Western Civ 101-02 Class 19 October 7, 2015 The Western World, in the Midst of Change: From Speaking to Writing

Writing Emerges and Leads “the run-up” to writing The West had long-standing roots in orality. strong deep rhetorical base in the oral arts. connection of the rhetorical base to the school system. spread of Greek and eventually Latin and through the Roman Empire. How to speak effectively was at the center of public life and higher learning. BUT

Writing Emerges and Leads “the run-up” to writing Speaking with effect became marginalized. The tools were all there. But their uses became less crucial, leading to The degradation of the “real” influence of speaking.

Writing Emerges and Leads “the run-up” to writing Invasion and fragmentation. Re-organization of Western society. The invasions led to a patchwork of small “kingdoms/fiefdoms.” Overwhelming mixtures of vernaculars. On the ground, speaking mattered less and less few understood each other clearly. Leadership wasn’t done with representative decision-making or orally. It was done with letters via envoys.

Writing Emerges and Leads “the run-up” Leaders were “mini-kings.” Leaders needed to communicate with force--inside their own fence and diplomatically across boundaries. Edicts (internally) and letters (externally) largely take the place of persuasive oral arguments. Each “place” had its own “monastery/church” that produced the literate class in cahoots with/at the service of the local leader

Writing Emerges and Leads The irony of it all: Although writing emerges as more important than the speaking that it’s based on, illiteracy is rampant. The West goes through the “Dark Ages,” largely, because only the elite can read and write. The materials aren’t widely available. Education is preserved for the few. The Church dominates and prefers an illiterate flock.

Writing Emerges and Leads Remember rhetoric in Athens: teaching communication for democratic participation to the point that BOTH the rich and the poor wanted it. In the Middle Ages, only the elite can leverage the dominate forms of effective communication—writing & reading. The West becomes divided by a new feature. Not just power, or money, or family, or race: Literacy.

Access to the means of production What did they write ON… When? Parchment until, roughly, 715, and no mass-produced paper until 1400s It’s estimated that it took approximately 300 sheep (skins) to make enough parchment for one copy of the Bible (e.g., a book) Makes books VERY expensive So why bother with wide-spread literacy…

As writing emerges, it takes on special power via the work of the Church Once Christianity gets aligned with leadership, staying in power, doing administrative business, and communicating across groups is important Though the fiefdoms are divided, the “CHURCH” is (sort of/trying to be) one. Two “mother-tongues” emerge for the business of bureaucracy: Koine Greek and eventually Latin This moves literacy even further from commoners (who speak a WIDE variety of vernaculars . . . In which there are virtually NO written texts or education in the early middle ages).

As writing emerges, it takes on special power via the work of the Church Since Christianity is based on Judaism, and Jews are “the people of THE BOOK,” Christianity has to figure out how to develop and elevate the book. Evangelization is a primary Christian goal This is pretty unique at the time This requires a standardized word, at some point.

Solving the problem of the book Although some writings were shared early in the 1st Century, most of the collections (books) were gathered/written late in the first century and finished by the year 150 AD. By 200, there may have been some commonalities in use. Latin vulgate commissioned in 383 Councils and Synods in 393, 397, 397, 419

On Christian Doctrine Augustine Written between 397-426 Helps “fix” the literary AND social problems

On Christian Doctrine Augustine Fixing the Literary Problem Presents the first linguistic theory of Signs and explains how they work Establishes that what’s important is what a sign STANDS FOR (more than what it “IS”) In this case, the New Testament stands for the word of GOD, so is, by definition, great literature and perfect (even if the text appears to be somewhat corrupt)

On Christian Doctrine Augustine Fixing the Social Problems As a former Rhetoric Professor and long time successful debater about theology, Augustine knows that the Church HAS TO USE rhetoric (but they’ve banned it) By teaching about how to use rhetoric effectively, he teaches how to use the New Testament.

On Christian Doctrine Augustine Fixing the Social Problems teaches the Church how to do theological exegesis (figure out what the holy text means) and to start there when preaching/teaching then re-introduces Platonic rhetoric Based on the Phaedrus START WITH THE TRUTH… then use rhetorical tools re-introduces the importance of using persuasive rhetoric in the defense of the Truth (Aristotelian rhetoric).

Augustine/On Christian Doctrine Fixed both problems . . . How to elevate the New Testament as great literature and how to teach and preach effectively. In doing so, re-establishes the classical rhetorical traditions (though stripped down) to the West. Things stay pretty much this way until the Renaissance, when full Aristotle and Cicero are recovered from the Arabs/Muslims and the west goes NUTS for classic rhetoric The Scientific Revolution, when Descartes separates science from logic, sending rhetoric toward a death spiral The Reformation, when Luther separates many of the Christians from the Catholics and moves toward (a) literal interpretations of the Bible and (b) away from the Catholic education system.

On the Sublime A writer we refer to as Longinus. The first published instance of “literary criticism.” all previous works guiding criticism were about oral materials. On the Sublime is about doing criticism of writing.

On the Sublime There’s a VERY powerful and useful notion here that changes the Western literate tradition forever. The written word can do more than communicate (ideas and the like). It can elevate one to other-worldly states (transport the audience) This re-introduces an almost spiritual aspect into Western logics AND rhetorical embellishments to writing. Pre-literate Western, and less-literate non-Western oral traditions, knew this, but the West tried to leave it behind with writing. In the end, it also works for the Catholics as they try to elevate their theology toward mysteries and miracles.

Combining Augustine with Longinus Even without paper, literature now has the chance to evolve into forms that are not merely representational. We get greater literature as a result And for a long time, Rhetoric continues to be important

Combining Augustine with Longinus Written literature will become both the glue that holds civilization in the West together and a principle factor in the socio-cultural divisions that will control the West Although it takes a while, writing enables the school & university systems to flourish And eventually leads the West out of illiteracy And of course, in many ways, our WESTERN CIVILIZATION is based on written literacy. BUT

Combining Augustine with Longinus BUT Eventually, the West turns its back on the appreciation of the full understanding of how language works, essentially insisting that “the magic” only be allowed in literature or religion and that “reality” requires, instead, mathematics.