The impact of the appearance of the phonetic alphabet was huge. The writing is
not connected anymore to an image model, but to another symbolic model- the
spoken language. Thus, writing becomes independent from the image model to
which it is indirectly associated. Later, writing was able to influence the
spoken language, and this tandem led to the 'symbolic' Man in Europe.
The Asiatic populations, who have used the method of description of image
models in writing, remained stuck in icons associated to image models from
their minds. This had a huge drawback in the development of symbolic models.
This is why in this history, reference is restricted only to the world based
on phonetic writing.
The phonetic writing has been a decisive step in the evolution of symbolic
models, due to its non-association with image models. On the other hand, the
Chinese spoken language can be translated into a phonetic writing, but this
mode could not be used as such, as it would produce a break from the image
models, which constitute the basis of the thinking/writing of this people.
1300 BC: Monotheist religion appears in Egypt. This type of religion marks the
moment, when the logical analysis applied to religion generates problems and
contradictions, associated with the existence of several gods. The desire for
logical order determines an evolution towards a monotheist religion. However
the appearance of the monotheist religion in Egypt was not a result of the
increase of the level of evolution of human society in those times, but was
created by the leaders of the society (one of the first monotheist religions
created by the people is the Christian religion).
600 BC: Poetry. A poem is a symbolic model, which uses image and symbolic
elements and relations. The poet has an inner image model, translates it to a
symbolic model with symbolic and image elements, which build up the poem. The
reader/listener will translate the poem to an image model in his mind. This
image model is supposed to be similar to the initial image model in the mind
of the poet. Thus, a poem is a way of approximate transmission of an image
model from one creator to a listener/reader, using symbolic models with
symbolic and images elements as a 'vehicle'.
300 BC: Euclid's Geometry
This is the first fundamental symbolic model ever created (a positive
science). It marks a very important moment in the evolution of the brain.
This symbolic model continues to be used up to date and it is not changed for
2300 years.
The second fundamental model will be created only after 2000 years and it will
be Newton's Mechanics. The evolution of the brain was very chaotic.
There is another symbolic model created in this period: chess. This symbolic
model is a game (it is not associated to external reality) and it is not
changed (just unimportant small changes) up to now as well. This game can be
used as a test of the intrinsic capacity of the brain to make and operate
long-range symbolic models.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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