Language And Humanists

The Dream Of A Universal Picture Language

Keith Lowe | Engelsberg Ideas | 9th February 2026

The earliest experiments in creating a universal picture language took place during the Alpine cycling craze of the 1890s. Clubs began to put up signs warning members of upcoming sharp bends or steep ascents. Pictures were preferred in part because one could not be sure what language a cyclist in the region might speak. Yet, to this day, “the dream of a single language of the road has never been realised” (2,100 words)

Why I Am Not A Humanist

Daniel Greco | Greco & Wansley | 8th January 2026

“The characteristic temptation of the humanist is bringing exclusively humanistic tools to bear on questions that demand empirical evidence. The humanistically inclined put too much weight on the authority of great books. I don’t want to identify as a humanist, because I don’t want to be the kind of person for whom it feels natural to let quotation substitute for evidence when empirical questions are at stake” (4,300 words)