Psychology Dictionary of Arguments

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Writing: Writing is a method of communication and expression using symbols or characters to convey language, thoughts, or information onto a surface. See also Messages, Texts, Literature, Historiography, Cultural tradition, Culture, Communication, Information, Reading, Speaking.
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Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments.

 
Author Concept Summary/Quotes Sources

Plato on Writing - Dictionary of Arguments

Gadamer I 396
Scripture/Plato/Gadamer: It is the methodological advantage of writing that the hermeneutical problem emerges in its detachment from all psychological aspects. What in our eyes and for our intention represents a methodological advantage is, of course, at the same time the expression of a specific weakness that is characteristic of everything written even more than of language. The task of understanding arises with particular clarity when one recognizes the weakness of everything written.
Plato/Gadamer: We only need (...) to remind us of Plato's example, who saw the peculiar weakness of the written word in the fact that no one could help the written speech if it is the result of deliberate or involuntary misunderstanding(1).
Plato, as is well known, saw in the helplessness of the Scriptures an even greater weakness than the speeches have (to asthenes ton logon), and if he demands dialectical help for the speeches in order to remedy this weakness, but on the other hand declares the case of the Scriptures to be hopeless, it is obviously an ironic exaggeration, by which he conceals his own literary work and art.


1. Plato, 7th letter 341 c, 344 c Phaidr. 275.

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Ricoeur II 38
Writing/Plato/Ricoeur: (Against writing: PlatoVsWriting): The attack against writing comes from afar. It is linked to a certain model of knowledge, science, and wisdom used by Plato to condemn exteriority as being contrary to genuine reminiscence.(1) He presents it in the form of a myth because philosophy here has to do with the coming to being of an institution, a skill, and a power, lost in the dark past of culture and connected with Egypt, the cradle of religious wisdom.
The king of Thebes receives in his city the god Theuth, who has inverited numbers, geometry, astronomy, games of chance, and grammata or written characters. Questioned about the powers and possible benefits of his invention, Theuth claims that the knowledge of written characters would
make Egyptians wiser and more capable of preserving the memory of things. No, replies the king, souls will become more forgetful once they have put their confidence in external marks instead of relying on themselves from within. This "remedy" (pharmakon) is not reminiscence, but sheer rememoration. As to instruction, what this invention brings is not the reality, but the resemblance of it; not wisdom, but its appearance.
The commentary of Socrates is no less interesting. Writing is like painting which generates non-living being, which in
II 39
turn remains silent when asked to answer. Writings, too, if one questions them in order to learn from them, "signify a unique thing always the same." Besides this sterile sameness, writings are indifferent to their addressees. Wandering here and there, they are heedless of whom they reach. And if a
dispute arises, or if they are injustly despised, they still need the help of their father. By themselves they are unable to rescue themselves.
Ricoeur: This Platonic attack against writing is not an isolated example in the history of our culture. Rousseau and Bergson, for example, for different reasons link the main evils that plague civilization to writing.
>Writing/Rousseau
, >Writing/Bergson.


1. Phaedrus, 274e-277a.

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Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments
The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition.

Gadamer I
Hans-Georg Gadamer
Wahrheit und Methode. Grundzüge einer philosophischen Hermeneutik 7. durchgesehene Auflage Tübingen 1960/2010

Gadamer II
H. G. Gadamer
The Relevance of the Beautiful, London 1986
German Edition:
Die Aktualität des Schönen: Kunst als Spiel, Symbol und Fest Stuttgart 1977

Ricoeur I
Paul Ricoeur
De L’interprétation. Essai sur Sigmund Freud
German Edition:
Die Interpretation. Ein Versuch über Freud Frankfurt/M. 1999

Ricoeur II
Paul Ricoeur
Interpretation theory: discourse and the surplus of meaning Fort Worth 1976


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