is speech useless

Speech as a Vehicle for Information

Speech serves the basic and indispensable function of transmitting information: it conveys facts, gives instructions, and passes on knowledg

Speech as Social Coordination

This path eventually reaches Normative Implications — Why Speech Matters for What We Ought to Do.

Expression and Selfhood

This path eventually reaches Against "Expression and Selfhood".

Persuasion and Influence: Speech as Action

Aristotle’s Rhetoric shows that speech is not merely noise but a practical tool that shapes how people think and act. Through logos reasoned

Cognitive and Emotional Regulation Through Speech

Talking—whether silently to oneself thinking aloud or in conversation—helps regulate thought and feeling in three related ways: Thinking alo

When Speech Fails: Ineffectiveness and Harm

Speech can be ineffective or harmful in several ways. First, misinformation and disinformation spread false beliefs: speakers may be mistake

Nonverbal, Written, and Technological Channels: When They Supplement or Replace ...

Speech is a powerful mode of communication, but it is neither the only nor always the best means of conveying meaning. Nonverbal channels fa

The Contextual Value of Speech

Speech is not inherently useless or valuable; its worth depends on three interacting factors. Context: The situation determines whether spee