Man's Greatest Invention

Was It Invented Or Given?

The Biblical account of creation, though marvelously concise is not very informative. Scientific accounts of creation though extremely lengthily are also not very informative if one leaves out theories and conjectures. Scientific accounts attempt to explain the beginning of man’s greatest invention while the Biblical account, perhaps wisely, makes no reference to the beginning of this invention; and instead by omission suggests that this invention was always part of man. It may have been that the author of Genesis could not conceive of man existing without this invention or he believed the invention to be a gift from the God and not created by man.

This invention, the most marvelous invention of man, though totally ignored by the Bible has had its conception explained by several ingenious theories. There is the Bow-Wow theory, the Pooh-Pooh theory, and the Ye-He-Ho theory. Even the names of these theories appear to belittle the significance of this invention; causing it to sound like just another ho-hum occurrence.

From its unchronicled beginning, this invention has spread throughout the world and is used, in some form, by nearly every human on earth. Today there are approximately 3,000 active variations; yet not single variation can be traced to its origin. Our own variation becomes lost in the dimly lit corridors of time only a mere 2,000 years ago where it merged with its earliest know ancestor: West Germanic. This variation is made up of approximately 40 audible contrasting elements; yet, it enables us to convey all known information.

Some of you, I am sure, have deduced the invention referred to - is language. Well - yes and no. I am not referring to ‘just’ language but to that modification of language that allowed the communication of abstract ideas. The invention of language in and of itself is not sufficient to merit being called man’s greatest or most laudable achievement. Almost all species of animals have developed some form or method of communication; however, these species have not evolved significantly in the area of intelligence. Why? Because Their languages lack the ability to communicate ideas above the level of their basic needs. It is this ability to communicate ideas above the level of basic needs that created the gap between the man and the animal. Abstract communications provided the fuel for the imagination; allowed man to consider maybes, possibilities, and what-ifs. Without this ability man would not be standing, reaching for space; he would be crouching, groping for existence. Perhaps this is where the Biblical account of creation really begins - man’s discovery of the ability to communicate abstract ideas for without this invented ability man would still be more animal-like than God-like.

Language is no more mere words than a painting is a mere picture. While the art of words and the art of painting may require the truly gifted artist to show us the art in each, they are still art forms - even in the hands of the unskilled.

Otto Jesperson has stated: "Language is a art - one of the finest of arts."

I would add: "Language is the most necessary of arts."

Author: Don Miller
Posted: Sept. 2002

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2002 Articles

2002 Articles Home

On Obsession
Harry P. Movie
Priests & The Law
On The Parties
Greatest Invention
Artificial Minds
On Religion II
On Religion
On Oneness
On Morality
Letter To Friend
On Karma
Religious Freedom
On Rituals
On Masters
On Magic
On Society
On Reparations
On Profiling