You want to read about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis from 1929. It has strong and weak versions; the weaker says that not having the vocabulary for concepts makes their discussion difficult, the strong version says it makes their discussion impossible. The weak form is robustly supported by research, the strong form less so but far from w…
You want to read about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis from 1929. It has strong and weak versions; the weaker says that not having the vocabulary for concepts makes their discussion difficult, the strong version says it makes their discussion impossible. The weak form is robustly supported by research, the strong form less so but far from wholly discredited.
Orwell was an advocate of the strong form but the inhibitions of Newspeak were tied to the willingness of doublethink. I see the seeds of doublethink in our new aggressive nomenclatural conformity.
"The lie becomes the truth and then becomes a lie again"
BTW the S-W hypothesis predates Orwell; "1984" was written in 1948 and that was his original title.
You want to read about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis from 1929. It has strong and weak versions; the weaker says that not having the vocabulary for concepts makes their discussion difficult, the strong version says it makes their discussion impossible. The weak form is robustly supported by research, the strong form less so but far from wholly discredited.
Orwell was an advocate of the strong form but the inhibitions of Newspeak were tied to the willingness of doublethink. I see the seeds of doublethink in our new aggressive nomenclatural conformity.
"The lie becomes the truth and then becomes a lie again"
BTW the S-W hypothesis predates Orwell; "1984" was written in 1948 and that was his original title.