Walter Ong

Walter Ong was an American scholar known for his work in the fields of English literature, communication, and the impact of technology on culture. He is best recognized for his ideas on orality and literacy, exploring how the transition from oral traditions to written language transformed human thought, society, and culture. Ong suggested that oral cultures rely heavily on memory and communal knowledge, while literate cultures promote individualism and abstract thinking. His influential book, "Orality and Literacy," examines these changes and their implications for understanding human communication throughout history.