The second bifurcation from percept-based thinking to concept-based thinking bears on the many discussions we had at our conference of imagery versus literacy and the notion of image literacy which was the focus of Geoff Pevere’s presentation. Images are perceived and hence are processed by the more primitive mechanisms of our brain, whereas literacy entails concepts and concept-based thinking, which are cognitive processes of the brain that developed after or with the emergence of speech.

Some speakers spoke of the dread possibility that verbal language would be replaced totally by images or imagery. I think my analysis puts that fear to rest. Verbal language is here to stay because it serves a purpose that images, as powerful and persuasive as they are, cannot possibly serve, namely, conceptualization, which is so essential for abstract thinking, analysis, and planning. Images might be powerful persuaders of what to buy or what to wear but they cannot be used by us to determine whether the purchase is good for us and whether it supports our values.

It is conceptualization and verbal language that make us human, allow us to plan for our well-being, and allow us to determine our values and behave in a moral fashion. This is why I consider the emergence of verbal language as the bifurcation from hominids to humans, or Homo sapiens sapiens. It is verbal language that clearly distinguishes us from the other animals of this world and allows us to make plans, to develop morality, to tell stories, to pursue mathematics and science, and to create the fine arts – even those whose media are nonverbal, such as music, painting, dance, and sculpture.

It is for this reason that the literacies of which I spoke in this essay are so precious. It is because they are the entree or doorway to all these wonderful activities and creations of humankind. Not to enjoy them is a terrible loss for those who are not literate, which is why those who pursue the cause of universal literacies are so passionate about their work.