Writing and thinking

I wish I had missed this one. In The New York Times (gift link), Joe Cruz, a professor of philosophy and cognitive science, opines: “I’m a College Professor. Writing Isn’t as Important as We Think.” See? He’s a professor. So he must know stuff.

And he begins by fabricating straw people, with the assertion that “Most college professors I know believe that students learn to think — critically, creatively, reflectively, tenaciously — only by writing.” Only by writing? I don’t think so. I don‘t know anyone who thinks so. Why discount the value of writing by leading with a false premise? As you might suspect, AI soon enters the argument.

Natalie Wexler offers a carefully reasoned response: ”Yes, Writing Does Advance Thinking.” As someone who has again and again not figured something out before sitting down to write, I must agree.

I like the Leuchtturm motto Denken mit der Hand: think with the hand. Or in a formulation that Wittgenstein approved, “I think with my pen.” The pencil is also a means to advancement.