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Is it possible to think without language?
Hi everybody ~
Lately I have to write an essay on this topic for my philo course. For the mean time, I have some arguments for it already, nevertheless I still want to know what others think about it.
My stand is YES. How about yours?
Cheers
Lately I have to write an essay on this topic for my philo course. For the mean time, I have some arguments for it already, nevertheless I still want to know what others think about it.
My stand is YES. How about yours?
Cheers
I guess it all comes down to your definition of "thinking".
My dog regularly "thinks" it should go barking at the mailman. And it uses elaborate scams to get past obstacles i put up in attempts to prevent it from doing just that (closed doors, windows etc etc .).
There are examples of humans without languages too. I'm thinking about children who have been raised by animals - Tarzan style. They seem to "think" too..
My dog regularly "thinks" it should go barking at the mailman. And it uses elaborate scams to get past obstacles i put up in attempts to prevent it from doing just that (closed doors, windows etc etc .).
There are examples of humans without languages too. I'm thinking about children who have been raised by animals - Tarzan style. They seem to "think" too..
| yeu9h1 wrote: |
| Hi everybody ~
Lately I have to write an essay on this topic for my philo course. For the mean time, I have some arguments for it already, nevertheless I still want to know what others think about it. My stand is YES. How about yours? Cheers |
Deep waters. Have you looked at the 'Language of Thought' hypothesis yet (cf. Field 1978) ? Are you familiar with 'Propositional Attitudes' ? (I would think so if the course is any good).
This basically gives us :
For each propositional attitude (A) there is a unique psychological relation (R).
For all propositions P and subjects S, S As that P only if there is a mental representation #P# such that
(a) S bears R to #P#, and
(b) #P# means that P.
It's a good starting point for the debate, perhaps.
Cheers
Chris
i guess that sometimes when your instincts take over... u do think without a language... like when u are on adrenaline..
Greetings
What an interesting question!
Now, bear in mind that I'm not philosophy buff, but I would tend to believe that people can think without language.
Language is just a means by which meaning is give to material things and concepts. If a person has not learnt any language, I think he would still have an understanding of what something is, like he'd be able to diferentiate between different objects (e.g. hot surface, cold surface) based on there properties (deduced through input from bodily senses). So he might be able to have some level of thought going on (albeit elementary).
Hmmm, don't know if that made sense or not,
Regards
What an interesting question!
Now, bear in mind that I'm not philosophy buff, but I would tend to believe that people can think without language.
Language is just a means by which meaning is give to material things and concepts. If a person has not learnt any language, I think he would still have an understanding of what something is, like he'd be able to diferentiate between different objects (e.g. hot surface, cold surface) based on there properties (deduced through input from bodily senses). So he might be able to have some level of thought going on (albeit elementary).
Hmmm, don't know if that made sense or not,
Regards
well i disagree.
you see to us language is speaking that we can understand. but every animal has a language so one poster here is definately wrong. there is verbal language in every animal and visual language in every organism. there is also behavioral language in every organism. when a paramecia starts moving fast away from a paralyzing drug, it is thinking and displaying body language. thus language defines what we call existence. the only argument that successfully counters this is that existence doesnt exist and im alright with that as that argument will disprove just about anything and everything we come up with
you see to us language is speaking that we can understand. but every animal has a language so one poster here is definately wrong. there is verbal language in every animal and visual language in every organism. there is also behavioral language in every organism. when a paramecia starts moving fast away from a paralyzing drug, it is thinking and displaying body language. thus language defines what we call existence. the only argument that successfully counters this is that existence doesnt exist and im alright with that as that argument will disprove just about anything and everything we come up with
You can think without a language because thinking has many aspects. You can think about a stormy sky, and picture that in your mind. Or think about music and hear it in your head. When you learn a language I suppose humans naturally think words in that language because when they hear them in their head, it's easy to comprehend because it's like someone talking to you. It would probably be harder to think straight if you just kept visualizing pictures of what you had to do. However, that's all just theory. You would think that after all this time, they'd be able to clear this all up with science or something >_>.
| angry_hindu wrote: |
| well i disagree.
you see to us language is speaking that we can understand. but every animal has a language so one poster here is definately wrong. there is verbal language in every animal and visual language in every organism. there is also behavioral language in every organism. when a paramecia starts moving fast away from a paralyzing drug, it is thinking and displaying body language. thus language defines what we call existence. the only argument that successfully counters this is that existence doesnt exist and im alright with that as that argument will disprove just about anything and everything we come up with |
Err..there are plenty of arguments that counter this I'm afraid. Here's a couple...
1) A plant grows towards sunlight. Is it communicating ? Some say yes, most disagree. It is a purely mechanistic response to stimulus. The same argument can be made for organisms respnding to stimulii. No language is required. In most cases there is not even a requirement for congnition.
2) Autonomic and conditioned response also requires no congnitive input in the sense that the brain is bypassed in some such responses and the stimulus is reacted to by the central nervous system directly. I presume you are not arguing that my spine is thinking and using language, or are you ? I suppose you could make a case for a simple binary-type communication system similar to a complex electronic sensor system but I think 'language' is stretching that a bit and 'thinking' is certainly pushing it.
Chris
I guess the conclusion so far is that the question is moot until someone defines the terms "thinking" and "language".
| FunFunkyFritz wrote: |
| I guess the conclusion so far is that the question is moot until someone defines the terms "thinking" and "language". |
I thought to myself - I'll be darned if I'm going to point that out - let someone else pick it up, I was too busy trying to remember concepts of cosmology for a tricky question next door.
Fritz has, thankfully, picked up the key point
Huh, thanks for the suggestions.
Right now I have some arguments:
1. Babies. Do they think? We could assume that infant babies don't have a language, since they don't show any sign of it. However, I think that they are thinking. After all, you must be able to think to learn a language.
The same applies for deaf-blind people and children isolated from society.
2. Ancient men. Going back in time, there must be a point when human didn't have a language yet, maybe just after they evolved from apes. If thinking is impossible without language, then how can these people 'think' to create their own language?
Sorry, I'm only a high school student, so that kind of stuffs is ... a bit out of reach for me. However, my teacher did mention about the Language of Thought hypothesis, which states that the process of thinking is, after all, an internal dialogue. I think it is not completed as it ignores other brain activities like memory and knowledge. Nonetheless, thanks.
Cheers
Right now I have some arguments:
1. Babies. Do they think? We could assume that infant babies don't have a language, since they don't show any sign of it. However, I think that they are thinking. After all, you must be able to think to learn a language.
The same applies for deaf-blind people and children isolated from society.
2. Ancient men. Going back in time, there must be a point when human didn't have a language yet, maybe just after they evolved from apes. If thinking is impossible without language, then how can these people 'think' to create their own language?
| Quote: |
| Deep waters. Have you looked at the 'Language of Thought' hypothesis yet (cf. Field 1978) ? Are you familiar with 'Propositional Attitudes' ? (I would think so if the course is any good).
This basically gives us : For each propositional attitude (A) there is a unique psychological relation (R). For all propositions P and subjects S, S As that P only if there is a mental representation #P# such that (a) S bears R to #P#, and (b) #P# means that P. It's a good starting point for the debate, perhaps. Cheers Chris |
Sorry, I'm only a high school student, so that kind of stuffs is ... a bit out of reach for me. However, my teacher did mention about the Language of Thought hypothesis, which states that the process of thinking is, after all, an internal dialogue. I think it is not completed as it ignores other brain activities like memory and knowledge. Nonetheless, thanks.
Cheers
I have sunburn want new tattoos sell art and don't care. It is a real challenge to keep my account from being deleted because I don't get much joy from posting on here.
Maybe it will all turn into something very important. It is all about maintenance. All of it. Life. sleeping and eating and dressing bathing traveling working walking waking animal prints visors plastic bottles and nocturnes and even mice fonts remote controls
Maybe it will all turn into something very important. It is all about maintenance. All of it. Life. sleeping and eating and dressing bathing traveling working walking waking animal prints visors plastic bottles and nocturnes and even mice fonts remote controls
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