Language and Thought
From: Absence of linguistic skills could hamper thinking ability:
Here's a summary of the study:
The study seems to support the Linguistic Determinism of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, which "states that there is a systematic relationship between the grammatical categories of the language a person speaks and how that person both understands the world and behaves in it." This idea is in opposition to Noam Chomsky's idea of the "innateness and universality of language."
One interesting thing to ponder is the thesis of Think No Evil: Korean Values in the Age of Globalization by by C. Fred Alford, that the Weltanschauung of Koreans is determined by the fact that their language contains no word that equates to the English term "evil."
[Thanks to Not Quite Catholic But Still Enjoying It! for the link.]
From: Absence of linguistic skills could hamper thinking ability:
- "[A] language lacking words for certain concepts could actually prevent speakers of the language from understanding those concepts"
Here's a summary of the study:
- "According to New Scientist, the researchers experimented with a Brazilian tribe called Pirahc, whose language allows counting only upto two. They found that when the members of the tribe were shown more objects they were unable to tell the difference between four objects placed in a row and five in the same configuration."
The study seems to support the Linguistic Determinism of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, which "states that there is a systematic relationship between the grammatical categories of the language a person speaks and how that person both understands the world and behaves in it." This idea is in opposition to Noam Chomsky's idea of the "innateness and universality of language."
One interesting thing to ponder is the thesis of Think No Evil: Korean Values in the Age of Globalization by by C. Fred Alford, that the Weltanschauung of Koreans is determined by the fact that their language contains no word that equates to the English term "evil."
[Thanks to Not Quite Catholic But Still Enjoying It! for the link.]
Redeemed by Our Savior, I work out my salvation with fear and trembling in Pohang, South Korea, where I live with my wife, daughter, and son and teach English at a science and technology university. Baptized a Methodist and raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran in Buffalo, NY, I spent six years as a guest of the Anglican Communion before being received by the Grace of God into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church on the Feast of Saint Andrew, my patron, anno domini 2002.
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