Language and Thought: A Complex Relationship
Language and Thought
2. Language: A System of Signs
Language is a system of signs expressing ideas. According to Saussure, linguistic signs are composed of:
- Meaning: The acoustic or graphic expression.
- Meaning: The concept or mental representation.
A key question is whether we can think without words or language. Are thinking and language always intertwined?
2.1 Human vs. Animal Language
The line between human and animal language is increasingly blurry.
- Traditionally, human language was considered innate, while animal communication was learned. However, many animals can learn new codes, and humans also possess an innate language-learning ability.
- Another distinction is mimicry. Animal communication is often identical and stereotyped, while human language is a complex system.
- Modern linguists view human symbolic language as irreducible to animal communication. Animal communication is situational and specific, while human language is abstract and symbolic. Metalinguistic abilities are unique to humans.
2.2 Language Localization in the Human Brain
Several sensory-motor areas are involved in language. Key skills acquired through evolution include:
- Producing sounds with symbolic content (words).
- Combining words to construct meaningful phrases.
- Understanding and interpreting the meaning of words and phrases.
2.3 Can Knowledge Exist Without Language?
This question explores the relationship between language and thought.
- Schopenhauer believed that thoughts dissolve when expressed in words.
- Animal studies suggest thought can exist without language.
- Studies of language disorders indicate some form of thought can persist even with impaired language skills.
However, as cognitive processes become more complex and abstract, language becomes a necessary tool for understanding certain realities.
2.3.1 Thought Precedes Language
Aristotle believed thought is an independent activity preceding language. Piaget’s studies showed that children acquire mental abilities before reflecting on language. Thus, some forms of thought exist before language acquisition.
2.3.2 Language Precedes Thought
This view posits that thought is a reflection of language. During learning, individuals acquire skills shaping their worldview. This perspective, known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests linguistic relativism, where each language has a unique way of understanding the world. This raises the question of how people speaking different languages can understand each other.
2.3.3 The Complex Interplay of Thought and Language
The current view emphasizes a dialectical relationship, where language and thought mutually influence each other. This discussion echoes the debate between empiricism and rationalism:
- Empiricism: External factors and the social environment are decisive. Thought arises from language. Skinner believed thought is subvocal language internalized from the environment.
- Rationalism: Innate universal linguistic structures exist. Chomsky argued that language acquisition is the maturation of innate linguistic abilities, with all humans born with an internalized grammar. Cognitive science introduced the concept of mental representation.
2.4 The Linguistic Turn in 20th-Century Philosophy
20th-century philosophy saw a focus on analyzing natural language to address philosophical problems. The question of knowledge becomes what we mean when we claim to know something.
- Philosophy of language attempts to connect language with reality. Atomists and positivists believed that imprecise language is the source of many philosophical problems. Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, and Carnap addressed these issues using formal logic.
- A more pragmatic approach, originating in Wittgenstein’s later work, applies philosophical criticism to everyday language. Austin, Grice, and Searle emphasized the action component of language.