To what extent are beliefs, thoughts and knowledge restricted or helped by the language which can be used to express them?

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Kendra J. Chisholm                12 BSCH        

TOK: To what extent are beliefs, thoughts and knowledge restricted or helped by the language which can be used to express them?

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis (Language and Thought)

“We cut nature up, organise it into concepts, and ascribe significances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organise it in this way – an agreement that holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns of our language” (Sapir-Whorf)

This quote is showing that each thing in nature is divided up and given a name that everyone in the community needs to agree with. The fact that they have names emphasizes the use of language to allow an easier organisation of thoughts therefore allowing easier communication. This proves that thought is still dependant on language, as names are given to certain things, which enhances our memory and clarity of them. This idea can also be illustrated through imagery. For instance, I personally find it much easier to remember a phrase, in any language, if I have previously conjured an image so that I have something to relate it to when I think of it. This simply allows a more natural process, as I am able to match a name to an image.

        A person who is really interested in something or someone will have such passion for this thing that they will use as many positive and detailed descriptions as possible. This can be due to people’s thought processes and perhaps the individual is really keen on allowing someone else to get the full picture (understanding) of their idea that they will want it to be as accurate as possible. However, in some languages, such a thorough portrayal can be described by the use of only one word. For instance, in the Australian language, Pintupi, the word ‘katara’, is the hole that a goanna makes when it has broken the surface of its burrow after hibernation. Here, we can see that it takes many words to reproduce the meaning that the Australians are able to summon in one sole word. This is probably the effect of the regular use of this translated phrase, which probably reflects the Australian’s beliefs and traditions.

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        Language is different for each individual and the idea of language will affect this person’s outlook on life, his or her future tactics on situations and also the way in which he or she remembers. E.g. American Indians, Hopi, were said to view the world in a much different way to others. They treated words such as ‘lightning’ and ‘wave’ only as verbs, whereas in English we use them as both a verb and a noun. This causes a much more confined speech and they consequently produce different, individual views.

        Another point that I would like to include ...

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