The myth of perfect communication

This study examines and evaluates the Myth of Perfect Communication, by treating two primary themes. First that the myth of perfect communication is based on the assumption of a stable 'center' which enables us to have a common experience of the world. The second theme is that the presumption of perfect communication relies on an inherently unstable medium---language. I will argue that there is no 'center' or essence of a thing that exists and is knowable. I will show how the historical search for this elusive center not only affected epistemological thought, but also the planning and execution of military operations. I also suggest that perfect communications implies that perfect understanding of a given situation is possible. I will show that this flawed notion is based on a naive empiricism, which models the human mind as a tabula rasa.