This is admittedly veering off in an opposing direction from Roy  
Weintraub's previous interesting posting.  
  
Nevertheless, as someone who has worked on the history of literacy, I am  
interested in Humberto's claim of "an earlier, deeper meaning of literacy  
as a 'well informed, educated person.'"  Humberto, could you tell me what sources  
or indications you have that there has been some "earlier, deeper meaning"  
of literacy as something more general than the ability to read and write?  
  
I suppose I should check out the OED on this--and will try to remember to  
do so--i.e. look up the definition and history of the term literacy in the  
OED--admittedly in a spirit completely counter to that in Roy Weintraub's  
posting.  
  
The reason this point comes to my mind is that one prominent historian of  
literacy has recently voiced concerns that "Literacy has become too  
promiscuous", that is that the term has become attached to too many  
disparate practices and that we are in danger of losing sight of its basic  
meaning as the ability to read and write. See David Vincent, "Literacy  
Literacy" published in _Interchange: A Quarterly Review of Education"  
Vol.34 nos.2-3, 2003: 341-357.  
  
But perhaps the term literacy was at some point used to refer to a  
well-informed educated person.  
  
Sorry if this diverts too much from Roy Weintraub's in my view well-taken  
points. However, I guess I find changing usage of terminology can be  
interesting.  
  
David Mitch