Death of a standard?

Sparrow said:
Was it Plato who complained that books were ruining peoples memories?
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"And in this instance, you who are the father of letters, from a paternal love of your own children have been led to attribute to them a quality which they cannot have; for this discovery of yours will create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality." - Plato, Phaidros, 275.

On a related note, cultural pessimism isn't what it used to be, either.
 
rxmd said:
"And in this instance, you who are the father of letters, from a paternal love of your own children have been led to attribute to them a quality which they cannot have; for this discovery of yours will create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality." - Plato, Phaidros, 275.

On a related note, cultural pessimism isn't what it used to be, either.
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Great quote - Plato was surely prescient. What he is describing is how people read DPReview and buy their camera gear accordingly!
 
rxmd said:
"And in this instance, you who are the father of letters, from a paternal love of your own children have been led to attribute to them a quality which they cannot have; for this discovery of yours will create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality." - Plato, Phaidros, 275.

On a related note, cultural pessimism isn't what it used to be, either.
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Yep, that's the bit, it must have made an impression it's 30 years since I read it last.

There's some graffiti in Pompeii or Herculaneum that bemoans the "state of todays youths" ... well a bit more profane than that actually
 
Sparrow said:
Yep, that's the bit, it must have made an impression it's 30 years since I read it last.

There's some graffiti in Pompeii or Herculaneum that bemoans the "state of todays youths" ... well a bit more profane than that actually
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Didn't Socrates talk about that as well?
 
Although a bit suburban, the writing in the older editions of Encyclopaedia Britannica's is fantastic. I'm not sure of the year the wheels fell off (mine is a 1953 set), but if you can find an old set they are wonderful. They sell for pennies and are priceless... like old negatives.

We call my farmer friend's battered dictionary, "Cooper's Google".

-Charlie
 
Besides, a few volumes of the printed OED is perfect for flattening negatives. Couldn't do that with the online version! :)
 
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