I See a Voice Book

With a remarkable breadth of reference, Jonathan Ree takes a lucid look at the philosophical history of our understanding of deafness and the senses. The deaf have never had an easy time. The ancient Greeks abandoned deaf babies. Jewish and Roman law prohibited the deaf from owning property. It was widely assumed that the deaf were also dumb. A change occurred in the 17th century when more attention was paid to the deaf, though it was felt that they would not be able to understand the concept of a "sin" and therefore risked losing their place in heaven. Cleric abbé de l' Epée first realised that deaf people everywhere always developed a fairly sophisticated language of their own--signing. Intellectuals were fascinated and speculated on whether certain signs were influenced by gender and class. In Germany and Britain, however, the "oralists" dominated the debate, arguing the deaf should be taught to speak so that they could be integrated into society. Ree quotes from the great philosophers, but includes fables and anecdote. An absorbing and provocative read.Read More