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The question of how the language we speak reflects or influences our view of the world, or our very thought processes, is one of considerable interest to many people but also a difficult one to answer. In this lecture we'll consider various points of view, and some evidence that's relevant in assessing them.
Pinker gives a range of evidence against the view that language is what we use for thinking. It can be summarized as follows.
1. Supposed limitations on expression in various languages are based on faulty linguistic understanding.
o Hopi does have words for time, etc.
o Translation between languages is possible (even if difficult to do
elegantly).
2. Thought is possible without language.
o Adults who have grown up without language.
o Babies before they learn language.
o Primates and other animals that never learn language.
o Adults who reason and create in visual or other modes.
3. Language is an inadequate medium for the direct encoding of thought.
o We often can't think of the right word to express ourselves.
o Language contains ambiguity, homophony, etc.
o Manipulation of visual images is done directly.
Instead, thought is encoded in something distinct from normal language, which he calls mentalese. Today we'll talk about a few examples, which partly overlap with Pinker's discussion.