Language, Mind and Culture

Language, Mind, and Culture
Taken from: Steinberg, D.D., Nagata,H., and Aline, D.P.2001. Psycholinguistics: Language, Mind, and World. Harlow: Pearson Education.

p.269-275

The Best Theory, Part 1: Thought is independent of Language

John Locke, a philosopher, advocated that: it is thought is independent of language, that language is dependent on thought, and that the function of language is to provide a means for the expression and communication of thought.

“The development of Thought precedes the development of language.”
“It is thought which determines the selection of word forms.”
“The Philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, and Kant agreed on the existence of mind, thought, and ideas, and their influence on behavior.”



The Best Theory, Part 2: Language Can Assist in Conveying New Ideas and Culture
Three important points related to this part are:
1. Language may be used to provide new ideas
“…knowing a language by itself does not influence thought, the use of that language may indeed affect the content and direction of particular thought.” (p.272)

2. Language may be used to change beliefs and values
Such as communist persuasion, advertisement persuasion. This, of course, is the essence of persuasion through language.

3. Language may be used to assist memory
“Our thinking is undoubtedly stimulated by the ideas we hear in speech and read in writing. Without language, no human group could have developed much of a culture of any sort. It is language that has allowed for the development of modern science, technology, and industry.