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Dijkstra's full essay[1] is a bit more illuminating, but essentially it's about how, for example, developing a system of symbols and formal language around math
by duggan 4y ago
Dijkstra's full essay[1] is a bit more illuminating, but essentially it's about how, for example, developing a system of symbols and formal language around mathematics has allowed "school children [to] learn to do what in earlier days only genius could achieve".
1: https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/transcriptions/EWD06xx/EWD667.html https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/transcriptions/EWD06xx/E...
- em500 4y agoI think his argument even generalizes to literacy in general. Remember that reading and writing skills don't develop naturally (as opposed to spoken language). They require a large educational investment, and used to be reserved for the wealthy and the privileged.