Sometimes you people butcher the language... (482 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 0.7 on 10 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by El_Wizardo (View user info) at 2004-11-22 20:25:31 EST
Do human beings think alike?
This question has been bothering me for a long time. Since I had a debate with Falon about whether or not dogs can understand language. I am of the firm belief that dogs do not understand language. They understand tone, or specific words. It is one thing to know a few words in Spanish. Just because you know Yo quiero taco bell, does not imply that you know the language. To know a language, you have to be able to speak fluently and command a great knowledge of not only vocabulary, but of grammar and parts of speech. That is where dogs lack. In no way, shape or form can dogs understand the full extent of any language. Therefore, they do not think. They can emote, the can remember, but they do not think.
Which brings me to another quandary. If language is the core of thinking, do human beings, with all their diverse language, think differently than one another? Does a person who speaks Spanish think differently than a person speaking Japanese. I believe they do. When I was learning Spanish in high school, I came to realize that English got in the way. Spanish has similarities to English, of that there is no doubt. I had to change the way I thought in order to be grammatically correct in Spanish. That might be a core issue as to why humans don't always get along.
But is it the society that influences language, or the language that influences society? It would seem that language is one of the driving forces behind society. Russian, for example, is short, almost guttural. The society that had developed there was often crude, violent and antagonistic. Did their language reflect that? I think it is the other way around. Since language is the core of thought, I think the way they talked contributed greatly to their actions and way of life.
Another example is the Romans. Bloodthirsty as they were, they were also the cradle for modern civilization, more so than any other civilization before them. They elevated the arts, democracy, and philosophy. Their language reflected that. Latin is the mother of most languages. Could it be because of the language, the Romans were destined to become the driving force of civilization? I believe so.
Even America, with its lexicon constantly changing. Incorporating new words into the fold, adapting to whatever comes along. It is the American way. I believe that stems from our primary use of the English language. We adapt it, we change it as we see fit. That is why we are so successful. Our language is flexible, therefore we are flexible. Any country that is not flexible is doomed to failure. Expand your vocabulary, expand your horizons. You think about that kids.
User Reviews
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2004-11-23 09:53:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
You pose some interesting questions, but as someone with a degree in linguistics, I can tell you that you're on the wrong track for the most part. Thought is mediated by language, but the structure of the language does not generally have a formative effect on the "characteristics" of the society in which it is spoken. That's kind of like the old wives' tale that a baby looks like its parents because the mother sees the father and her own reflection in the mirror a lot. It just doesn't hold water.
And no, animals cannot understand or use language like humans can. Forming a behavioral association with a certain word or phrase is not the same thing as processing meaning.
Sorry about being so pedantic. I just like to show off my knowledge of linguistics whenever I can, since I don't get to do it that often. Lord knows it wasn't the most practical choice for a field of study.
Submitted by Stin (user info) at 2004-11-23 05:25:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
He who laughs last is German, waiting for the verb in the punchline.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2004-11-22 23:06:29 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Sorry dood you make a couple of captain obvious statements then a lot of doubtfull observations.
Submitted by FuckTheArmy (user info) at 2004-11-22 22:22:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Um.... No, basically, thoughts are thoughts, shaped by society, not language. Language is also shaped by society, so thoughts and language have similarities, but there are concepts which cannot be expressed without a change of language, which do exist socially.
Not that dogs can think, either - or at least not in a human context I see it; but then, how does a human physically think?
Submitted by Impassive-Digressive (user info) at 2004-11-22 21:49:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
If one wished to stir the proverbial pot, one could argue that American success has to a degree stemmed from their amoral approach to wanton destruction - with military victories intrinsically linked to the intangible senses of 'National Pride' and 'National Worth'. The apathy shown to such acts of violence certainly mirrors the horrible mangling and contortion the English language has undergone at the hands and mouths of the American people.
Honor?
Center?
Standardize?
Aluminum?
Get me the Oxford, I'm going to be sick.
Submitted by William_Q_Percy (user info) at 2004-11-22 21:04:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
If dogs can't think, then what the fuck was the littest hobo? A magic eightball with fur and four legs?
I don't think so.
Submitted by ikebomber (user info) at 2004-11-22 20:44:39 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Ah, juvenile amaturish philosophy. Also, it's wrong.
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-22 20:38:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I was planning on giving you a -2 because I disagree with most, if not all of your points, but since you put them across coherently in a well-developed argument, you get all my respect.
You're still wrong, though.
Submitted by jgreening (user info) at 2004-11-22 20:31:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry interesting.
And on the same line, I heard an argument that basically was:
"Do individuals think the same." Basically, I speak English, and you speak English, but do we think in the same English...
Deep shit.
Submitted by Jack_Laridian (user info) at 2004-11-22 20:29:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Insightful.