Relationship between thought and language

[Anonymous]

Is there a relationship between thought and language ? Is it bidirectional or unidirectional ?

[Tdol]

There are different opinions. Dr Johnson said language is 'the dress of thought', meaning that language is like the clothes that thoughts wear. This suggests that language does not influence thought.
There is the opposite position, as in the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, which suggests that langauge affects the way we think; it shapes out thoughts at a very basic level.
I tend towards the view that language shapes thought.

[MikeNewYork]

Is there a relationship between thought and language ? Is it bidirectional or unidirectional ?

IMO, thought precedes language. Infants appear to think. Animals appear to think. Dr. Temple Grandin, an autistic person and animal science PhD, states that autistics think in pictures. She believes that animals think the same way. Did early man think in pictures? Do infants? Intriguing ideas. :wink:

[Tdol]

There are other ways of thinking- animals do it without language. However, once the language virus has struck, it tends to take over, imho.

[MikeNewYork]

There are other ways of thinking- animals do it without language. However, once the language virus has struck, it tends to take over, imho.

I agree with that -- up to point. Artistic people seem to retain the ability to think, to some extent, in more abstract terms. :wink:

[Tdol]

Fine, but linguistic processes do tend to dominate.

[MikeNewYork]

Fine, but linguistic processes do tend to dominate.

I agree, and, in most cases, seem to wipe out other brain functions. :wink:

[Tdol]