CS100 Lecture 3: Week 3
Document Summary
Things that help us improve and expand our physical and mental strength. Used as a tally system, way to keep track of numbers and count things. A symbol is anything which is shorthand for anything else. A sign has a narrow precise unambiguous meaning. Potential permanence, keep making new things for trading, count multiple things at a time using these tokens. Had to abstract big numbers and always have to create new tokens for new items. In contrast with stone, papyrus as a writing medium was extremely light . By escaping from the heavy medium of stone thought gained lightness . Instead of making new stones and tokens physical, it"s way easier, lighter and quicker to create papyrus by cursive writing. Civil service: privileged literate class (2000 bc forward) Social implications of writing(clay or papyrus) formalization : life becomes more regimented, documented.
