The primacy of writing

Abstract

This article submits that the consideration of the ‘functional primacy’ of written language is the key to understanding the status and role of writing and spelling in complex societies. It argues that the persistence of the “Aristotelian paradigm” makes that understanding impossible. The issue of the relation between writing and orality is addressed. The general style of the paper is argumentative and lecturelike with a sparse use of footnotes, quotations and references.