I understand that in Egyptian
hieroglyphics the course of development from ideograms to phonetic
writing can be studied. What is peculiar in China is the preservation of
the ideographic system throughout thousands of years of advanced
civilization--a preservation probably due, at least in part, to the fact
that the spoken language is monosyllabic, uninflected and full of
homonyms.
As to the way in which the Chinese system of writing has affected the
mentality of those who employ it, I find some suggestive reflections in
an article published in the _Chinese Students' Monthly_ (Baltimore),
for February 1922, by Mr. Chi Li, in an article on "Some Anthropological
Problems of China." He says (p. 327):--
Language has been traditionally treated by European scientists as
a collection of sounds instead of an expression of something
inner and deeper than the vocal apparatus as it should be. The
accumulative effect of language-symbols upon one's mental
formulation is still an unexploited field. Dividing the world
culture of the living races on this basis, one perceives a
fundamental difference of its types between the alphabetical
users and the hieroglyphic users, each of which has its own
virtues and vices. Now, with all respects to alphabetical
civilization, it must be frankly stated that it has a grave and
inherent defect in its lack of solidity.
Pages:
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45