"Words are Loaded Pistols" - Jean-Paul Sartre - Discuss.

Shai Manor

11/02/04

TOK 11A

Ways of Knowing: Language

“Words are Loaded Pistols” – Jean-Paul Sartre

This essay is written, to show the power of words, and to explain the quote above by Jean-Paul Sartre. I will relate this topic to ways and areas of knowing. Some examples might be given throughout the explanation of the quote and how it can be seen.

Words are loaded pistols means to me, that thoughts are pistols, and words are loaded pistols, when you speak, you shoot the words out. The difference between thoughts and words is that thoughts are something we think of, evaluate it for ourselves, words are eventually the conclusion we have made out of our thoughts. This can be seen as a political thing, politicians, before taking extreme measures and going to war, talk diplomatically. They kind of shoot each other with thoughts and words. When they speak they give their opinion and therefore it can be seen as a violent thing. Politicians quarrelling about what they want and need from the other, demanding for peace while trying to get something out of it as well. For example, the Middle-East conflict, where Israel wants to make peace with the Palestinians, who see Israel wanting peace so much as an opportunity to demand more and more land.

This quote can be related to emotion, perception and even belief. This quote can be a form of perception, since every person sees it differently just as Sartre had his own view when he wrote this quote. For some, this might seem emotional, and may not agree with it. Going back to the political use of it, if someone has died in ones family by a gunshot, he might see it the political way and say the person shooting could have just talked instead of shot. Violence is not always the answer to everything.

This can also ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

This can also be seen as a thing you believe in, belief may restrict you from talking in some religions. Some religions, have things to hide, here is a fragment about a man who has reconsidered his views of the church and wants to leave.

“ This bishop, an old hunting buddy of mine, proceeds to tell me it beaks his heart to tell me, but if I continue teaching against the church he and the stake president will recommend I be disfellowshipped or perhaps even have to stand before a church court.”

This Text shows how a man is being threatened if he talks against the church. If religion is so great, why does he not have freedom of speech? In this case his words are like loaded pistols. He shoots the people’s belief in the church when he tells them how it really is. People might stop believing in the church because of his actions. I think this man is doing a great thing standing up to the church. The church is supposed to be holy, not trying to hide its dark side from the people. If this man could stand up to the church, he should be a role model for the next to come.

As we can see, throughout the essay, points are being made showing how important words are. Words can be threatening just like weapons, words can be comforting and words can make a point, bring an idea across to others. Words build up our languages, without letters we wouldn’t have words, but without words we wouldn’t have sentences, paragraphs, and language itself. Quotes are written so that people can think, open their heads and think out of the box. This quote by Jean-Paul Sartre just showed us how many things can be extracted out of it just by thinking.

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