Linguistic Relativity and Objectivism in Ayn Rand's “The Anthem”
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Ayn Rand? Ayn Rand Ayn
Who Is Ayn Rand? Ayn Rand Few 20th century intellectuals have been as influential—and controversial— as the novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand. Her thinking still has a profound impact, particularly on those who come to it through her novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead—with their core messages of individualism, self-worth, and the right to live without the impositions of others. Although ignored or scorned by some academics, traditionalists, pro- gressives, and public intellectuals, her thought remains a major influence on Ayn Rand many of the world’s leading legislators, policy advisers, economists, entre- preneurs, and investors. INTRODUCTION AN Why does Rand’s work remain so influential? Ayn Rand: An Introduction illuminates Rand’s importance, detailing her understanding of reality and human nature, and explores the ongoing fascination with and debates about her conclusions on knowledge, morality, politics, economics, government, AN INTRODUCTION public issues, aesthetics and literature. The book also places these in the context of her life and times, showing how revolutionary they were, and how they have influenced and continue to impact public policy debates. EAMONN BUTLER is director of the Adam Smith Institute, a leading think tank in the UK. He holds degrees in economics and psychology, a PhD in philosophy, and an honorary DLitt. A former winner of the Freedom Medal of Freedom’s Foundation at Valley Forge and the UK National Free Enterprise Award, Eamonn is currently secretary of the Mont Pelerin Society. Butler is the author of many books, including introductions on the pioneering economists Eamonn Butler Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, F. -
Philosophy of Linguistics
Philosophy of Linguistics Brian Rabern Philosophy DSB 4.04c 0131 651 5178 [email protected] Geoff Pullum Linguistics DSB 2.23 0131 650 3603 [email protected] Meetings The class meetings are from 11:00 to 13:00 each Wednesday from 19th September to 28th November in Old Library 2.19, Geography building, Old Infirmary complex (weeks 1–3 and 6–11) and in 01M.469 Teaching Room 12 (Doorway 3), Medical School building. Class meetings are mandatory. Readings Required reading is to be done before the class meets; background reading to be studied as time and specific interests permit. Assessment (i) short paper (1000-1500 words) to be turned in by 5 p.m. on Monday 15th October (topics will be provided); (ii) final essay examination with choice of questions from the whole of the course. Week 1 (19th September; Old Library 2.19): Introduction What linguistics is. Linguistics as a special science. Syntax and semantics as conceived in logic. Charles Morris’s trichotomy of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Philosophy of science applied to linguistics. Required reading • Hunter, Geoffrey (1971) Metalogic: An Introduction to the Metatheory of Standard First Order Logic (Berkeley: University of California Press), pp. 4–13. Background reading • Stainton, Robert (2014) ‘Philosophy of linguistics’, Oxford Handbooks Online. Online at https://works.bepress.com/robertstainton/126/ Week 2 (26th September; Old Library 2.19): Language and languages The metaphysics of linguistics. The vexed question of whether language should be regarded as psychological, social, or purely abstract. The descriptive linguistics of the American structuralists and the mentalist/cognitive backlash; ‘God’s truth’ (realism) vs. -
Linguistic Relativity Hyp
THE LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY HYPOTHESIS by Michele Nathan A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Social Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 1973 THE LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY HYPOTHESIS by Michele Nathan This thesis was prepared under the direction of the candidate's thesis advisor, Dr. John D. Early, Department of Anthropology, and has been approved by the members of his supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty of the College of Social Science and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: &~ rl7 IC?13 (date) 1 ii ABSTRACT Author: Michele Nathan Title: The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis Institution: Florida Atlantic University Degree: Master of Arts Year: 1973 Although interest in the linguistic relativity hypothesis seems to have waned in recent years, this thesis attempts to assess the available evidence supporting it in order to show that further investigation of the hypothesis might be most profitable. Special attention is paid to the fact that anthropology has largely failed to substantiate any claims that correlations between culture and the semantics of language do exist. This has been due to the impressionistic nature of the studies in this area. The use of statistics and hypothesis testing to provide mor.e rigorous methodology is discussed in the hope that employing such paradigms would enable anthropology to contribute some sound evidence regarding t~~ hypothesis. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction • 1 CHAPTER I THE.HISTORY OF THE FORMULATION OF THE HYPOTHESIS. -
Linguistic Determinism and Mutability: the Sapir-Whorf "Hypothesis" and Intercultural Communication
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 403 761 FL 024 384 AUTHOR van Troyer, Gene TITLE Linguistic Determinism and Mutability: The Sapir-Whorf "Hypothesis" and Intercultural Communication. PUB DATE Dec 94 NOTE 18p. PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142) Journal Articles (080) JOURNAL CIT JALT Journal; v16 n2 p163-78 Dec 1994 EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Foreign Countries; *Intercultural Communication; *Language Research; *Linguistic Theory; Research Methodology; Scientific Methodology IDENTIFIERS *Sapir (Edward); Whorf (Benjamin Lee); *Whorfian Hypothesis ABSTRACT The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, long considered a factor in intercultural communication, is discussed. Empirical studies that have tended to validate the hypothesis are reviewed, and the hypothesis is then considered from the standpoint of empirical and scientific research requirements. It is shown that the hypothesis has never been formally defined for testing, and therefore does not exist as a scientifically testable thesis. As a result, all studies that have attempted to interpret empirical data accorded to the hypothesis are either flawed or invalid because they have tested something other than the hypothesis. It is concluded that the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis exists only as a notion, and has no meaningful relation to intercultural communication. Includes an abstract in Japanese. Contains 22 references. (Author/MSE) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION AND CENTER (ERIC) DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL This document has been reproduced as HAS BE N GRANTEDBY ceived from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. -
Thoughts in Motion
! ! "# $ % & #''# #() (*+,(( - . / 0& /& &1 , ' ,2 &##/ # ,# & 3, ,/4 # 56/'# / & , , & , ' & / & ' , # # # & 7 '& & ' 3#/(((6,0 '# & / # 8 # 8 # & '# , ' & # '& ,% & # / # # & # ,9& / '# #' '# , 3 6, 3 & 6 # ,% / # / /& '# # 3 & '4 56'/ #/ ' # # & ' 34 56, # , ' & ,2 : # 3 6 & # '; # , / # ' &' ; 3,,/ <6,2 / ' & ' / / , ! (* 7== ,',= &< > 7 ' 777&?@* 2$-@*A@*B?@A(* 2$-@*A@*B?@A(AA 2-?((C@ % & #/(B@ Thoughts in Motion The Role of Long-Term L1 and Short-Term L2 Experience when Talking and Thinking of Caused Motion Guillermo Montero-Melis Centre for Research on Bilingualism Department of Swedish Language and Multilingualism Stockholm University Doctoral Dissertation 2017 Centre for Research on Bilingualism Department of Swedish Language and Multilingualism Stockholm University Copyright: Guillermo Montero-Melis Printing: Universitetsservice AB, Stockholm 2017 Correspondence: SE 106 91 Stockholm www.biling.su.se ISBN 978-91-7649-807-1 (print) ISBN 978-91-7649-808-8 (electronic) ISSN 1400-5921 A mi abuelo Manuel Melis, por su amor al saber Acknowledgements Two persons have mainly guided my efforts. I am deeply grateful to my main advisors, Manne -
Linguistic Relativity, Cultural Relativityn and Foreign Language Teaching
Linguistic Relativity, Cultural Relativityn and Foreign Language Teaching A. Effendi Kadarisman State University of Malang Abstract: Every language is assumed to be unique, structurally and culturally. Taking this neo-Bloomfieldian assumption at the outset, this paper first points out the inadequacy of sentence grammars for foreign language teaching, Toward this end, the paper further argues for the necessity of understanding linguistic and cultural relativity. Linguistic relativity, or better known as the Sapir-whorf hypothesis, suggesis that the way we perceive and categorize reality is partly determined by the language we speak; and cultural relativity implies that verbalization of concepts in a particular language is often culturally conditioned. As related to the field of foreign language teaching, relativity across languages and cultures presupposes contrastive analysis in a very broad sense. Thus pointing out differences in language structures and cultural conventions should lead students to better acquisition of linguistic and cultural sensitivity. Key words: linguistic relativity, cultural relativity, Sapir_Worf hypo_ thesis, foreign language teaching ''ALL GRAMMARS LEAK'' The statement "All grammars leak" is a quotation from Edward sapir's Language (p. 38), first publishedin 1921; and since then its predictive power has been revealing. This section gives a brief overview of grammars and points out how they leak. My approach in this section is both analytical and historical, and the argument in this paper swings back and forth between applied and theoretical linguistics. since modern linguistics as the 2005 Volume WI, Number !, February Kadar is man, L i n gu is t i c Re lat iv i 2 TEFLIN Journal, ty, C u I tu ra I Re lat iv i ty 3 a linguistic investigation The Saussurean legacy is best defined as structuralism, rise of Generative Grammar with fascinating terms (such as well as competence of culture is predominantly structural, methodoiogically as and performance, deep structure and surfaie structure) made EFL technically. -
2020 Anthem Winning Essay 8Th, 9Th and 10Th Grade
2020 ANTHEM WINNING ESSAY 8TH, 9TH AND 10TH GRADE FIRST PLACE Georgia Mirică, Bucharest, Romania – American International School of Bucharest, Voluntari, Bucharest, Romania Aside from very rare exceptions, there is no opposition to the leaders in this society. Why is this? What ideas must the people in this society have accepted to live a life of obedience, drudgery and fear? The systematic construction of the literary universe in which Ayn Rand’s Anthem unfolds oversees a global society that strips human beings of their fundamental dignities and forces them to live in constant oppression and suppression of individualism. The novella follows the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, in his discovery of forbidden knowledge and subsequent escape, divulging truths about the dangers of collectivist ideals and totalitarianism, holding a mirror up to a tumultuous contemporary world. In Anthem, the re-programming of human values through complete indoctrination of collectivist ideals makes it so that the inhabitants of this society cease to be individual human beings, and instead are viewed as gears in a vast system. Having no notion of the self, they accept oppression as dutiful, being depersonalized to the point that they can be exploited completely without rebellion. Violently cradled by the arms of a totalitarian state from birth, perpetually kept in darkness, halted by ideological barriers, the result is a people submissive to abuse without question, having never been taught to question. One may argue that, upon birth, human beings are no more than lumps of clay to be shaped by this mysterious force called life and hardened by maturity, adopting the values of their environment unconsciously. -
Objectivism: Ayn Rand's Personal Philosophy
Objectivism: Ayn Rand’s Personal Philosophy These notes are taken from The Reader’s Guide to the Writings and Philosophy of Ayn Rand found at the end of Centennial Editions of Anthem. Ayn Rand provides a nutshell version of Objectivism by describing four aspects of it: Metaphysics the philosophy of what constitutes REALITY (How do we know what reality is?) Epistemology the philosophy of knowledge (How do we know what we know?) Ethics the philosophy of how we determine what is right vs. wrong, fair vs. unfair Politics the philosophy of how we govern groups of people Objectivism holds the following ideas: Metaphysics Objective Reality Epistemology Reason Ethics Self-Interest Politics Capitalism A further exploration of the ideas: Metaphysics Objective Reality Rand agrees with Naturalism in that reality is observable and measurable. There is one reality. She disagrees with Modernism in that Modernists believe in Subjective Reality, the idea that humans CREATE reality through their perceptions. Rand says that our only ability is to perceive reality, not create it. “facts are facts” This believe precludes (makes impossible) a belief in the supernatural. Epistemology Reason Rand agrees with the Enlightenment that we should use reason to achieve our goals. She holds that reason is man’s highest virtue. Other ways of “knowing what we know” is through faith, tradition, and intuition, none of which she would deem valid methods of “knowing.” Ethics Self-Interest Rand believes wholly in acting upon one’s self-interest. No one should sacrifice himself for others or sacrifice others for himself. This idea would preclude any altruistic acts. -
Linguistic Relativity Phillip Wolff∗ and Kevin J
Advanced Review Linguistic relativity Phillip Wolff∗ and Kevin J. Holmes The central question in research on linguistic relativity, or the Whorfian hypothesis, is whether people who speak different languages think differently. The recent resurgence of research on this question can be attributed, in part, to new insights about the ways in which language might impact thought. We identify seven categories of hypotheses about the possible effects of language on thought across a wide range of domains, including motion, color, spatial relations, number, and false belief understanding. While we do not find support for the idea that language determines the basic categories of thought or that it overwrites preexisting conceptual distinctions, we do find support for the proposal that language can make some distinctions difficult to avoid, as well as for the proposal that language can augment certain types of thinking. Further, we highlight recent evidence suggesting that language may induce a relatively schematic mode of thinking. Although the literature on linguistic relativity remains contentious, there is growing support for the view that language has a profound effect on thought. 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. WIREs Cogn Sci 2010 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.104 INTRODUCTION rise to several logical paradoxes.6 However, a recent resurgence of research in this area has uncovered olk psychology tells us that human cognition subtle and intriguing interactions between language depends on language, and further, that this F and thought, leading to a number of more nuanced dependency creates differences in thought across versions of the proposal. language communities. Although often mistaken, folk psychology appears to be at least partially correct in this case. -
Theory Reflections: Linguistic Determinism/Relativism
Theory Reflections: Linguistic Determinism/Relativism The Theory The theory of linguistic determinism and relativity presents a two-sided phenomenon: Does the specific language (and culture) we are exposed to in childhood determine, in fact, how we perceive the world, how we think, and how we express ourselves? If this is so, then, it must also be the case that each language (and the culture it represents) necessarily provides its speakers with a specific and differing view of that same world, a different way of thinking, and a different way of expressing. This notion is related to a parallel issue that has existed throughout the centuries—are there also universal absolutes that transcend all linguistic (and cultural) particulars? Recent research suggests there may be elements of both. Linguistic determinism came to the attention of linguists and anthropologists during the 1930s, prompted by the work of Benjamin Lee Whorf. Using prevailing linguistic approaches of his time, Whorf, who studied indigenous languages, found surprising contrasts with European tongues in terms of how they reflected and spoke about reality (e.g., how they segment the time continuum, construct lexical hierarchies and, in short, encode a different view of the world, or Weltanschauung). The Whorf-Sapir hypothesis, as it came to be known (Sapir was his teacher), gained increasing attention and prompted the notion of language determinism/relativity. In other words, the language we are born to has a direct effect upon how we conceptualize, think, interact, and express—a direct relationship between human language and human thinking This notion has remained at the center of a debate for more than half a century. -
Masterarbeit / Master's Thesis
MASTERARBEIT / MASTER’S THESIS Titel der Masterarbeit / Title of the Master‘s Thesis „Impact of language on thought and worldview, especially in the domains of time and space“ verfasst von / submitted by Keun Jun Song angestrebter akademischer Grad / in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (MA) Wien 2016 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt / A 066 812 degree programme code as it appears on the student record sheet: Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt / Masterstudium English Language and Linguistics degree programme as it appears on the student record sheet: Betreut von / Supervisor: Univ. Prof. Mag. Dr. Nikolaus Ritt Table of contents page Abstract………………………………….…………………………....i Acknowledgment……………………………………………………..ii List of tables…………………………………………………..……...iii List of figures…………………………………………….…………..iv 1. Introduction…………………………………………………….......1 2. Purpose of the research…………………………………………….3 3. Methodology of the research………………………………………4 4. Theory: linguistic relativity…………………………………….…..7 4.1. Advent of the theory: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis…………….……….……8 4.1.1. Sub-classification of linguistic relativity based on relevant hypotheses………………………………………………………….......13 4.1.1.1. Language as a prototype of mental activities……………….14 4.1.1.2. Linguistic determinism……………………………………..16 4.1.1.3. Thinking before language…………………………………..16 4.1.1.4. Thinking with language…………………………………….17 4.1.1.5. Thinking after language…………………………………….18 4.2. Cognitive linguistics and the theory of linguistic relativity………….…20 4.3. Language as a matrix for thought………………………………….........25 4.4. Language and worldview………………………………………..……...26 4.4.1. World-perceiving………………………………………...……….31 4.4.2. World-conceiving……………………………………………..…..32 4.4.3. Cultural mindset…………………………………………………..32 4.4.4. Personal world…………………………………………….......….35 4.4.5. Perspective………………………………………………..………36 5. Mechanism of linguistic relativity………………………….….............37 6. -
Is Linguistic Determinism an Empirically Testable Hypothesis?
Is linguistic determinism an empirically testable hypothesis? Helen De Cruz Centre for Logic and Analytic Philosophy University of Leuven, [email protected] This is the latest, uncorrected draft of a paper to appear in Logique & Analyse. 1 Linguistic determinism Intuitively, language seems to be an important and necessary part of our everyday thinking. Studies reporting introspective awareness indicate that people experience as much as 50 % of their thoughts in `inner speech' (Hurlburt, 1990). Language might shape cognitive processes by providing us with a structured medium to conceptualize the world, giving humans a degree of cognitive flexibility not found in other animals. This idea goes back at least to Descartes' M´editations and it appears in the work of several contemporary philosophers of mind (e.g., Carruthers, 2003). If language determines or at the very least influences cognition, we expect speakers of different languages to have divergent conceptualizations of the world|as the linguist Whorf (1956, 213) put it `We dissect nature along lines laid out by our native language'. The claims that language shapes the way we see the world, and that as a result, speakers of different languages conceptualize reality differently will here be referred to as linguistic determinism. Linguistic determinism comes both in strong versions (i.e., language determines thought entirely) and in weaker forms (i.e., language in- fluences cognition to an important extent). It has generated a substantial body of research over the past half century, though many cognitive scientists (e.g., Bloom, 2000) remain skeptical and think that language only serves a purely communicative function.