On the Various Means of Communicating Our Thoughts Jean Jacques Rousseau 1.Speech distinguishes man among the animals;language distinguishes nations from each other;one does not know where a man comes from until he has spoken.Out of usage and necessity,each learns the language of his own country.But what determines that this language is that of his country and not of another?In order to tell,it is necessary to go back to some principle that belongs to the locality itself and antedates its customs,for speech,being the first social institution,owes its form to natural causes alone 2.As soon as one man was recognized by another as a sentient,thinking being similar to himself,the desire or need to communicate his feelings and thoughts made him seek the means to do so.Such means can be derived only from the senses,the only instruments though which one man can act upon another, hence the institution of sensate signs for the expression of thought.The inventors of language did not proceed rationally in this way;rather their instinct suggested the consequence to them 3.Generally,the means by which we can act on the senses of others are restricted to two:that is, movement and voice.The action of movement is immediate through touching,or mediates through gesture. The first can function only within arm's length,while the other extends as far as the visual ray.Thus vision and hearing are the only passive organs of language among distinct individuals. 4.Although the language of gesture and spoken language are equally natural,still the first is easier and depends less upon conventions.For more things affect our eyes than our ears.Also,visual forms are more varied than sounds,and more expressive,saying more in less time.Love,it is said,was the inventor of drawing.It might also have invented speech,though less happily.Not being very well pleased with it,it disdains it,it has livelier ways of expressing itself.How she could say things to her beloved,who traced his shadow with such pleasure!What sounds might she use to work such magic? 5.Our gestures merely indicate our natural unrest.It is not of those that I wish to speak.Only Europeans gesticulate when speaking;one might say that all their power of speech is in their arms.Their lungs are powerful too,but to nearly no avail.Where a Frenchman would strain and torture his body,emitting a great verbal torrent,a Turk will momentarily remove his pipe from his mouth to utter a few words softly, crushing one with a single sentence. 6.Since learning to gesticulate,we have forgotten the art of pantomime,for the same reason that with all our beautiful systems of grammar we no longer understand the symbols of the Egyptians.What the ancients said in the liveliest way,they did not express in words but by means of signs.They did not say it,they showed it. 7.Consider ancient history;it is full of such ways of appealing to the eye,each of them more effective than all the discourse that might have replaced it.An object held up before speaking will arouse the imagination,excite curiosity,hold the mind in suspense,in expectation of what will be said.I have noticed that Italians and Provencals,among whom gesture ordinarily precedes discourse,use this as a way of drawing attention and of pleasing their listeners.But in the most vigorous language,everything is said symbolically,before one actually speaks:Tarquin or Thrasybulus lopping off poppies;Alexander applying his seal to the mouth of his favorite;Diogenes promenading in front of Zeno.Do they not speak more effectively than with words?What verbal circumlocution would express the same idea as well?Darius, engaged with his army in Scythia,receives from the King of Scythia a frog,a bird,a mouse,and five 11 On the Various Means of Communicating Our Thoughts Jean Jacques Rousseau 1. Speech distinguishes man among the animals; language distinguishes nations from each other; one does not know where a man comes from until he has spoken. Out of usage and necessity, each learns the language of his own country. But what determines that this language is that of his country and not of another? In order to tell, it is necessary to go back to some principle that belongs to the locality itself and antedates its customs, for speech, being the first social institution, owes its form to natural causes alone. 2. As soon as one man was recognized by another as a sentient, thinking being similar to himself, the desire or need to communicate his feelings and thoughts made him seek the means to do so. Such means can be derived only from the senses, the only instruments though which one man can act upon another, hence the institution of sensate signs for the expression of thought. The inventors of language did not proceed rationally in this way; rather their instinct suggested the consequence to them. 3. Generally, the means by which we can act on the senses of others are restricted to two: that is, movement and voice. The action of movement is immediate through touching, or mediates through gesture. The first can function only within arm’s length, while the other extends as far as the visual ray. Thus vision and hearing are the only passive organs of language among distinct individuals. 4. Although the language of gesture and spoken language are equally natural, still the first is easier and depends less upon conventions. For more things affect our eyes than our ears. Also, visual forms are more varied than sounds, and more expressive, saying more in less time. Love, it is said, was the inventor of drawing. It might also have invented speech, though less happily. Not being very well pleased with it, it disdains it; it has livelier ways of expressing itself. How she could say things to her beloved, who traced his shadow with such pleasure! What sounds might she use to work such magic? 5. Our gestures merely indicate our natural unrest. It is not of those that I wish to speak. Only Europeans gesticulate when speaking; one might say that all their power of speech is in their arms. Their lungs are powerful too, but to nearly no avail. Where a Frenchman would strain and torture his body, emitting a great verbal torrent, a Turk will momentarily remove his pipe from his mouth to utter a few words softly, crushing one with a single sentence. 6. Since learning to gesticulate, we have forgotten the art of pantomime, for the same reason that with all our beautiful systems of grammar we no longer understand the symbols of the Egyptians. What the ancients said in the liveliest way, they did not express in words but by means of signs. They did not say it, they showed it. 7. Consider ancient history; it is full of such ways of appealing to the eye, each of them more effective than all the discourse that might have replaced it. An object held up before speaking will arouse the imagination, excite curiosity, hold the mind in suspense, in expectation of what will be said. I have noticed that Italians and Provencals, among whom gesture ordinarily precedes discourse, use this as a way of drawing attention and of pleasing their listeners. But in the most vigorous language, everything is said symbolically, before one actually speaks: Tarquin or Thrasybulus lopping off poppies; Alexander applying his seal to the mouth of his favorite; Diogenes promenading in front of Zeno. Do they not speak more effectively than with words? What verbal circumlocution would express the same idea as well? Darius, engaged with his army in Scythia, receives from the King of Scythia a frog, a bird, a mouse, and five