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\"The Relationship Between Language and Thinking \" Please respond to the follow

ID: 3494932 • Letter: #

Question

"The Relationship Between Language and Thinking" Please respond to the following:

Research a quote about language and thought.

For example, a quote by philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, believed that thought without language was impossible: “The limits of my language are the limits of my life.”

Next, examine whether or not it is possible to think without using language.

Argue for or against the ways a person might enact “languageless” thinking.

If you believe it is not possible, describe the major problems with languageless thinking.

Explanation / Answer

A quote on language-

"Change your language and you can change your thoughts." by Karl Albrecht.

Language is an indispensible part of human life. Through language we communicate and share our life experiences with our fellow human beings. This is one aspect that makes us apart from animals. Though animals also communicate yet they are incapable of sharing their experiences with others. Even during primitive times, human beings communicated with each other in the form of language.

Language development is essential to the development of thinking in children. It is not that infants do not experience or store their experiences in their memory. They definitely do so, but how, it is still under much research.

Language is a tool that enables human beings to not only share or communicate but also a tool to pool the rich data that we have and can use for the good of all, that is, human race. This enhance sthe quality of life of people in general.

Language is essential to thinking as it makes us aware that we are thinking. Not only this, it is through our language that we realize our sensations, emotions and feelings, and impressions. This means that meta thinking- that is being aware of thinking something and being aware of this awareness that you are thinking somethings- involves langauge itself. Though some people say that they think without using language, that is symbollic thinking, it also entails langauge or the knowledge of symbols.

In the quote, quoted above Karl Albrecht clearly indicates that if you want to change a thought you have to change the language. This quote very succinctly sums up the basic premise of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, used as a therapy to deal with a number of psychological disorders, that talks about replacing the thoughts in order to make changes in the behavioural patterns. Rephrasing and changing the language in manner that it becomes affirmative helps one to deal with automatic negative thoughts. Thereby, briniging a positive life change.

In many of the researches it has been found that people who do not have proper language development face problems in thinking. Sensory percepts or motor actions, may or may not involve thoughts but all higher order mental processes like problem solving and decision manking, definitely involves language.

In the end it may be concluded that thinking without language, though is not impossible but very difficult.