Bugbear 0f Literacy

In The Bugbear of Literacy, Ananda K. Coomaraswamy critiques the growing emphasis on literacy in modern society. He argues that while reading and writing are important, they have overshadowed more profound forms of communication, such as oral traditions and symbolic understanding. Coomaraswamy suggests that literacy, particularly in the Western sense, can lead to a superficial understanding of knowledge, disconnecting individuals from deeper cultural and spiritual insights that are often conveyed through non-literal means.