From orality to writing to Wittgenstein

1. Created by Brett Oppegaard for Washington State University's DTC 375 class, spring 2009 From orality to writing to Wittgenstein

2. Important human developments • 4.6 billion years ago – Earth formed • 160,000 years ago – Oldest human fossils found (speech among humans began) • 30,000 years ago – First cave paintings • 5,000 to 7,000 years ago – First writing systems appeared, starting as pictographs in Sumeria • 5,000 years ago – Phoenicians develop an alphabet; Egyptians create heiroglyphs Courtesy of About.com

3. Important human developments • 776 B.C. – Homing pigeons used to tell Athens who won the Olympics • 530 B.C. – First library opens • 500 B.C. – Papyrus rolls and early parchments were developed into the first portable and light writing surfaces • 105 B.C. – Tsai Lun of China invents paper Courtesy of About.com

4. Important human developments • 1455 A.D. – Gutenberg invents his printing press • 1714 – Henry Mill patents a typewriter • 1814 – Joseph Niépce creates first photo • 1877 – Thomas Edison patents the phonograph • 1910 – Edison, again, invents the first talking picture • 1914 – First cross continental telephone call made Courtesy of About.com

5. Kenneth Burke's definition of man • Man is the symbol-using (symbol-making, symbol-misusing) animal • Inventor of the negative • Separated from his natural condition by instruments of his own making • Goaded by the spirit of hierarchy • And rotten with perfection.

6. Wittgenstein's “Philosophical Investigations” • 'Language games' • And extra credit opportunity!