Current theories and views on the differences in the 'mind' of human
societies depend very much on a dichotomy between 'advanced' and
'primitive', or between 'open' and 'closed', or between 'domesticated'
and 'savage', that is to say, between one of a whole variety of
'we-they' distinctions. Professor Goody argues that such an approach
prevents any serious discussion of the mechanisms leading to long-term
changes in the cognitive processes of human cultures or any adequate
explanation of the changes in 'traditional' societies that are taking
place in the world around us. In this book he attempts to provide the
framework for a more satisfactory explanation by relating certain broad
differences in 'mentalities' to the changes in the means of
communication, and specifically to the series of shifts involved in the
development of writing. The argument is based upon theoretical
considerations, as well as empirical evidence derived from recent
fieldwork in West Africa and the study of a wide range of source
material on the ancient societies of the Near East.