--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the Phaedrus, Plato argued that the…" description: "\"In the Phaedrus, Plato argued that the new arrival of writing would revolutionize culture for the worst. He suggested that it would substitute reminisc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marshall-mcluhan-641_plato_in-the-phaedrus-plato-argued-that-the-ne_2224616.png" --- # In the Phaedrus, Plato argued that the new arrival of… ![“In the Phaedrus, Plato argued that the new arrival of writing would revolutionize culture for the worst. He suggested that it would substitute reminiscence for thought and mechanical learning for the true dialect of the living quest for truth by disc” quote by Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marshall-mcluhan-641_plato_in-the-phaedrus-plato-argued-that-the-ne_2224616.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marshall-mcluhan-641_plato_in-the-phaedrus-plato-argued-that-the-ne_2224616.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/738/marshall-mcluhan-641_plato_in-the-phaedrus-plato-argued-that-the-ne_2224616.png) > “In the Phaedrus, Plato argued that the new arrival of writing would revolutionize culture for the worst. He suggested that it would substitute reminiscence for thought and mechanical learning for the true dialect of the living quest for truth by disc” [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Plato feared that writing would replace memory and active thinking with passive recall, weakening the quest for truth. **In simple terms:** Writing could diminish active thought by favoring memorization. Key Takeaway Cultivate critical thinking alongside written knowledge. Themes technology memory philosophy Mood cautious analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - education - digital media consumption - archival research Key Concepts cognitive shift cultural impact knowledge transmission Questions to Reflect On - What modern tools risk replacing deep thinking? - How can we balance written records with active reflection? A Different Perspective Writing also preserves ideas beyond oral limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In the Phaedrus, Plato argued that the new arrival of writing would revolutionize culture for the worst. He suggested that it would substitute reminiscence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/in-the-phaedrus-plato-argued-that-the-new-arrival-of-writing-would/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [“Plato argued that the material world of visible things was but a shadow of the true reality of eternal forms. He proceeds to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/plato-argued-that-the-material-world-of-visible-things-was-but-a/) [John D. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [Art is the distillate of life, the winnowed result of the experience of a people, the record of the joyous adventure of the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawren-harris/art-is-the-distillate-of-life-the-winnowed-result-of-the-experience/) [Lawren Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawren-harris/) > [Others of them employ outward marks ... They style themselves Gnostics. They also possess images, some of them painted and others formed from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/others-of-them-employ-outward-marks-they-style-themselves-gnostics/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) > [When something goes wrong, accuse yourself first. 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