2 ms·
It is an interesting example. Shallow processing is subjective though (the use of the word 'shallow'), as is 'higher level reasoning', or the capacity to derive
by emotionalcode 12y ago
It is an interesting example. Shallow processing is subjective though (the use of the word 'shallow'), as is 'higher level reasoning', or the capacity to derive a layer of meaning from a sequence of characters. It depends on what perspective.
I am reading a book on syntactic pattern recognition, and if I may quote from the chapter on 'elements of formal language theory':
"Observers are not led by the same physical evidence to the same picture of the universe unless their linguistic backgrounds are similar or can in some way be calibrated ~Benjamin Lee Whorf"
- tjradcliffe 12y agoThe problem with this hypothesis is that it treats "linguistic backgrounds" as static, as if language creation was not a basic and routine part of the machinery we use to picture the universe. But this is not the case. The sciences, for example, would be impossible without the routine creation of new language, and once you admit language creation into the fold as a basic linguistic ability you've lost pretty much all the force of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis as a limit on our understanding. Linguistic background is a weak and temporary barrier to reaching any particular picture of the universe based on the physical evidence because whenever our linguistic background impedes us we create new language. Shakespeare, famous for his neologisms, is a great example of this process, obviously, and language creation is an area where the sciences and the arts overlap very heavily that so far as I know has never been properly studied.
- emotionalcode 12y agoI don't make the assumption that linguistic background is static, only that it is possible that the way in which the language shapes perception can be the cause of disagreement. That is not to say that once this is resolved, linguistic background can't change. Linguistic background may change as a result of language creation disagreement.
- thaumasiotes 12y agoYou might be interested to know that Cicero, irritated at the prevailing viewpoint of the time that discussing philosophy required Greek, made a point of using Latin and coining the words he needed when he needed them. The idea that your language forms unbreakable shackles around your soul has apparently been unreasonably popular for a very long time :/