Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Language, philosophy: language is a set of phonetic or written coded forms fixed at a time for the exchange of information or distinctions within a community whose members are able to recognize and interpret these forms as signs or symbols. In a wider sense, language is also a sign system, which can be processed by machines. See also communication, language rules, meaning, meaning change, information, signs, symbols, words, sentences, syntax, semantics, grammar, pragmatics, translation, interpretation, radical interpretation, indeterminacy._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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P. Feyerabend on Language - Dictionary of Arguments
I 295 Language/Whorf/Feyerabend: (Anticipated by Bacon): Thesis: Languages and the behavioral patterns associated with them are not mere means to describe events, but they also constitute events (facts). Whorf/Feyerabend: Thesis: the the "linguistic background system" (grammar) in every language is not merely a productive system for the formulation of thoughts, but forms the thoughts itself. >Sapir-Whorf thesis. I 296 Whorf/Feyerabend: there is a knowledge of "latent classifications" (male/female), intuitive, which can be more rational than manifest ones. Even a phoneme can take over distinct semantic functions. E.g. [th] occurs in English mainly in the definite article. This creates a psychic resistance against this sound in made-up words: (for example, "thob"), it is "instinctively" assigned the unvoiced th sound as in "think". But that is not an instinct. It is the "linguistic report". A formal linguistic group can be related to a chain of events, a formal class turns into a semantic one. In the course of time, it subordinates itself to a basic idea and draws other, semantically fitting words. A formal group becomes a semantic group. I 311 Style/Feyerabend: one must not overlook the possibility that a style provides an accurate representation of the world as seen by the artist and his contemporaries. Perhaps people at that time really did feel like a puppet. This would, however, be a realistic interpretation. It would correspond to Whorf's thesis that languages are not just a means of describing events, but they also shape events. VsWhorf: it seems, however, that there were indeed technical means in place to make "more realistic" art. They seem to have been abandoned intentionally! If that is true, then the influence of style (or language) on cosmology and perceptions requires additional arguments. It is not self-evident. These additional arguments (which can never be mandatory) are related to similar circumstances in other areas._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Feyerabend I Paul Feyerabend Against Method. Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge, London/New York 1971 German Edition: Wider den Methodenzwang Frankfurt 1997 Feyerabend II P. Feyerabend Science in a Free Society, London/New York 1982 German Edition: Erkenntnis für freie Menschen Frankfurt 1979 |
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> Counter arguments against Feyerabend
> Counter arguments in relation to Language
Ed. Martin Schulz, access date 2024-04-19