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07 Oct 2008
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Debatewise debate DEBATE: DOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?

An ongoing debate in the field of linguistics is whether language is controlled by thought, or thought by language. Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf proposed a hypothesis claiming that a person's native language will control their thoughts and that if a concept is not expressed in one's native language, they will not understand this concept. The case of the Hopi tribe is used to back this theory up. Unlike in western languages, Sapir-Whorf suggested that the Hopi tribe have no concept of time, and therefore, couldn't understand the idea of time. Similar cases have been raised such as the case of the Inuit people who have been documented as having a large number of words for different snow, and as we have no words to describe the different types of snow, we cannot physically understand the distinctions or see the distinctions until they are described to us and given a name. However, Noam Chomsky suggests that all people are born with language rules in their brain and that this is universal. Do we think in words? Can we understand concepts for which we have no name? Does our language control our thought?





Debatewise debateDOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?


Can we understand concepts we don’t have words for?


The Hopi Indians and the Inuit people present interesting cases. We can’t understand the distinctions that the Inuit’s have for snow, as we don’t have words for it.

Not only is this research discredited, but it is argued that thought is conditioned by the society you are in, not by native language.


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Debatewise debateDOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?


Do we think in words? Are our thoughts in our native language?


It is also suggested that all our thoughts are in our native language, hence, we can’t understand things we don’t have words for, as we physically can’t think of concepts we don’t have words for.

Language processing is restricted to a few small areas in the brain; can this really control all our thoughts? Or are they completely separate?


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Debatewise debateDOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?


Can our brain/thoughts function without language?


After a stroke, language is often affected. as are thoughts and memories; is this due to thoughts being controlled by language?

After damage to Broca’s or Wernicke’s area, the subjects can still understand language and everyday processes.


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Debatewise debateDOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?


Surely thought comes before language


Babies and children have thoughts before they can speak or use language.



Debatewise debateDOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?


Thoughts for which you have no words


What about the thoughts for which we don’t have words? I can’t be the only one who wants to express a concept and finds there is aparently no word for it, or none that I know.



Debatewise debateDOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?


Visual thoughts


Not all thoughts come in the form of words at all. What about the visual images that arise in the mind? To translate them into words is often difficult or imposible, suggesting these do not arise from a language-based source.



Debatewise debateDOES LANGUAGE CONTROL THOUGHT?


Surely thought comes before language.


Babies and children have thoughts before they can speak or use language.




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Comments about this debate

8 months ago, Harry Dyer said:


I believe that it is more than just language, society and other process may well play an important part.



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