The Alphabet Effect: on Chinese
[Update 5-20-05: Now I remember. In his 1989 book Visible Speech: The Diverse Oneness of Writing Systems, John DeFrancis ( 
) called Logan’s book "nonsense". That’s not far from my assessment.]
Robert Logan, Professor of Physics, University of Toronto, author of The Alphabet Effect, (R.K. Logan; William Morrow, New York 1986 and St. Martin’s Press, New York 1987) is scheduled to be interviewed on ChildrenOfTheCode.Org. It’s not clear to me whether his site here contains the original book chapters in PDF, or they are separate things.
I didn’t expect much from an (Associate) Professor of Physics writing about a loose topic like this, but I was disappointed and excited at the same time after skimming some of the chapters. Disappointed, obviously, by the quality of argument in the chapter (at least in the PDF files; haven’t had a chance to read the book, and not sure will ever). Fascinated because I’ve been looking for a quotable source that argues a direct, causal connection between orthography and culture. This couldn’t have been better:
Comparing Chinese and Western Cultural Systems
We will attempt to show in this chapter that the absence of Western-style abstractions and classification schemes in Chinese culture is related to the differences in writing systems. We have chosen to make a comparison of Western cultural patterns with Chinese becasue what motivated this study originally was an attempt to understand why science began in the West despite the superiority of Chinese technology, a point we will illustrate below. Most of the technology that was used in Europe before the Industrial Revolution actually originated in China and yet we have the curious historical fact that modern abstract science began in Europe.
Despite the fact that I clearly stated in the first edition of this book the fact that Chinese culture evolved in a different direction than European culture "is not to suggest that Chinese culture is inferior (to European culture); quite the opposite is true", some critic have accused me of being Eurocentric. Nothing could be further from the truth given my great admiration of the accomplishments of this nation. I wrote then that "Chinese culture has created its own triumphs in arts, technology, philosophy, and religious thought, which have not been rivaled by any other culture". One example is the fact that it is one of the oldest continuous cultures in existence today having made major contributions in all aspects of culture including governance, law, science, mathematics, medicine, technology, religion, philosophy, literature, the graphic arts, music and architecture.
I hope that I have made it clear that there is no way one can look upon Chinese culture as being any less successful or sophisticated than European culture. It is a fact, however, that Chinese thinking is considerably more concrete and practical and less abstract than Western thought which has been one of the factors that allowed it to contribute as much to world culture as it has and will allow it to contribute in the future. Chinese logic is based on analogy and induction rather than matching and deduction as is the case with the alphabetic cultures of the West. Chinese mathematics is more algebraic than geometric. Chinese technological inventiveness is unparalleled by that of any culture, yet China never exploited its technology in a systematic manner as was done in the West during the Industrial Revolution. The Chinese created an elaborate legal system but not a codified one. They developed their own unique way of dealing with space and time, but one that is not Cartesian. And they were deeply spiritual and mystical thinkers, yet they were not monotheists.
Here is the alleged effect of writing systems:
Maybe I should read the book, which is republished by Hampton Press, August 1, 2004TABLE I: COMPARISON OF CHINESE AND WESTERN CULTURAL PATTERNS
China Europe Logograms Alphabet Right-brain oriented Left-brain oriented Nonlinear Linear Acoustical Visual Analogical Logic Inductive Deductive Concrete Abstract Mystical Causal Intuitive Rational Generalist Specialized Decentralized Centralized Local Universal Integrative Fragmented Space oriented Time oriented Traditional Progressive Cyclic time Continuous time Algebraic Geometric Concrete science Abstract Science Order and pattern Natural Law Craft Technology Invention Exploitation Technique System Customs-mores (Confucius) Codified law Harmony of nature (Tao ) Monotheism Relativity Absolutism
From Library Journal
This book has a message: the rise in the West of codified law, monotheism, theoretical science, logic, and individualism was fostered by the phonetic alphabet. Unfortunately, the message is not substantiated. Logan shows that literacy has contributed to many "Western" innovations, but literacy is not synonymous with alphabetas witness the Chinese, the Japanese, etc. Further, the relation between the alphabet and monotheism is obscure: both the ancient Greeks and the Hindus had an alphabet and many gods. Logan may argue that the phonetic alphabet possesses "logic," but where is the logic in a random list of alphabetized words: aardvark, abacus, acrobat, admirable? Yet many Chinese dictionaries are logical, grouping related words under the appropriate sign. Not recommended. Catherine von Schon, SUNY at Stony Brook Lib.
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June 25th, 2005 at 7:55 am e
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