In terms of knowledge, when we name things what is won and what is lost?

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Bárbara Bodelón

Word count: 1426

“In terms of knowledge, when we name things what is won and what is lost?”

To introduce the motion of this piece of writing is necessary making clear some basic terms such as “language”, this corresponding to one of the ways of knowledge, bound to sounds or symbols that stand for things or ideas. We think, using the symbols of language as tools for thought. The relationship of symbols with its meaning is a matter of agreed connection. Language is subdivided into verbal (spoken and written) and non-verbal (kinesics and proxemics) language[1]. Below I will play only verbal language and will explain in detail what is won and what is lost when we name things.

When we name things we automatically create taxonomy. This term means we are making a classification, that permits us inventory, identify, group, distinguish and structure knowledge. Language permits associating ideas and using symbolism in a meaningful way to open us boundless possibilities for thinking and communicating. We are able to connect our own lives (thoughts) with the lives of others in our language community thus create meaning socially. It also allows us such flexibility we may possibly generate utterances that no previous speaker of the language has ever used, since they are vast combinations within restrictions. The more vocabulary you have, then the more knowledge as well, and a more enriched view of the world, because you can understand a term better. To put it simple, names are obviously words, and without words there is no language, hence with no language there is no communication. This last aspect is precisely the one that distinguishes human beings from the rest of non-rational species, the ability of communicating in the way humans do (bigger abstractive thoughts than animals). Synthesizing, we could consider these characteristics as some of the positive aspects in naming things.

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When I am playing mimics and I perform an action, the ones that are trying to guess, can actually do it, since they relate my performance to established terms, words or names.  This is a visible way to illustrate how naming things means making a distinction and an association between ideas.  

Some people may say that classifying and inventorying knowledge will not be achieved successfully by naming things. They will defend this posture by stating that as knowledge is indubitable, it cannot be classified by ambiguous systems, such us language. Also they might counterclaim that associating ideas through language ...

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