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> No-one in their right mind would create […] society Right. Because societies are emergent things that arise from masses of people, not products of an individ
by velcrovan 5y ago
> No-one in their right mind would create […] society
Right. Because societies are emergent things that arise from masses of people, not products of an individual’s design preferences.
That’s not to say that we might not eventually get to one language. But it won’t be because of illiterate* ideals expressed through technocratic meddling.
(* — “Illiterate” in its original sense: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2012/05/03/rediscovering-)literacy/ https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2012/05/03/rediscovering-)literac...)
- newsbinator 5y agoWhat's the difference between the technocratic meddling of getting everybody to stop spreading AIDS and the technocratic meddling of getting everybody to start speaking the same language? We build consensus, we devote dollars and person-hours, and we try to figure out how to get closer to a desired end state. We do it all the time. But when it's giving a generation of people plumbing that's monumental human progress and when it's giving a generation of people a lingua franca that's illiterate technocratic meddling.
- rileyphone 5y agoThe consequences can be disastrous, like Mao’s great leap forward. In any case, English is naturally taking the place of the world language.