Does Language Determine or Limit Thought? Essay

Life is divided between things that can make you feel, emotions, and things that make you think, thoughts.1 Language is the primary way for humans to express these feelings of thought and emotion. Language can be any form of communication that has a specific meaning which is conveyed to other people.2 With this, we are able to share ideas, knowledge, and skills. But can we express these feelings without language? If so, how can we? If not, then does language fully determine thought and is it the only factor which determines it? This essay will evaluate and answer these knowledge issues to resolve the extent to which language determines or limits thought. Verbal and written communications are often considered as the main methods to express language. However, facial expressions, eye contact, sign language and many others are also forms of language, non-verbal language.3 But many different questions arise regarding these other forms of communication. Are there different limits on thought using the other forms of communication? Also, are the same factors that limit thought applied to more than one form of communication? Written language for instance, can include ambiguity, vagueness, sarcasm, metaphors and irony.4 These are all used to create an effect in conveying the message. An ambiguous sentence can have a number of different meanings, therefore different people might comprehend the sentence in a different way from others. Does age play a role in how the sentence is comprehended? Will it be understood the same way by a seven year old as by a thirty year old? These questions often occur when dealing with written language, showing that it can cause limits in thought. On the other hand, these can also apply to verbal language, if the person spoke without emotion. However, verbal language can include a variety of different tones, volume, pitch, and pauses, which all affect the way it is understood. Even silence can be considered as a language, to display anger towards someone.5 Another example showing sarcasm would be if my father told me that I was a thoughtful son. I might think that I am thoughtful or that I am not. However, do these techniques apply to all people equally? If this was said to me, I will probably understand the true meaning to the sentence, but if this was said to my seven year old sister, she would take the literal meaning of this sentence and think she is thoughtful. This proves that to different people and ages, language can limit their thought to a certain extent. It has been proven that language might limit thought to different people at different ages, but will this apply to deaf and mute people? Deaf people find it difficult to speak and mute people cannot speak at all. Without verbal language, they cannot express their thoughts, so does this mean that their thought is limited? Their form of communication, mainly sign language, is also a form of language, partly because it has the word language in its name and partly because a message can be conveyed with this method. 6 It is true that they cannot express most of their feelings without verbal language, but their thought is not fully limited as they can still use sign language. Therefore, although different forms of communication have different factors that limit thought, some of these factors apply to more than one form of communication, like sarcasm applies to verbal and written. But, even though some forms of communication have the same factors that limit thought, one form might be more effective in conveying the message than others, like how verbal can be spoken with a specific tone to convey sarcasm. There are many ways to communicate to a person and these are all a type of language. Animals do not communicate in words but in different ways. Both humans and animals use a form of communication to express their thoughts. Humans can use many forms of communication such as verbal or written but all animals use a different method. For example, dolphins use echolocation clicks to communicate to different dolphins or detect detailed information from the world around them.8 Therefore, we cannot express feelings and convey messages without language as a form of language is required to achieve this. Some think language is the main means of thought, as we think with language and communicate using it. This proves that it determines thought as the use of language requires thought and to express these thoughts we require language. The only case where this might not be true is for a sudden reaction. For example, if my father bought my younger sister a toy, she would instantly hug him. This also applies to instant reactions such as a reflex when touching a hot stove. This is because we do not think to ourselves that we should move our hand away from it but this happens instantly without the use of language. Supporting this view is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis which states that language determines thought. But it also states that the individuals thought is determined by their native language, which changes the way the individual interprets and views the world. If so, can someone learn a new language easier if there are corresponding words in their native language? My mother proved this when teaching my daughter some English words. By telling the words in our native language Urdu first, then the corresponding word in English, my sister was able to learn the words quicker. However, some thoughts in one language cannot be expressed equally in other languages.

Appropriate title poem for the collection Essay

To what extent, in terms of subject matter and style, do you consider ‘High Windows’ to be an appropriate title poem for the collection? High Windows is a collection that deals with several interlinking themes. One of the most obvious is that of windows, which are used throughout the poems as an analogy for reflection, retrospection, observations and external or internal influences. Other themes such as death, religion, youth, sex tradition, society and outside observers also occur frequently throughout the collection. It could be said that the poem High Windows includes and explores many of these themes, and as such provides a good summation of the content of the others. Its form and structure can also be compared to the rest of the collection – Larkin uses some very specific techniques and structural decisions within several of the poems, and High Windows is perhaps one of the best examples of where these techniques are used to the best effect. In High Windows, Larkin employs free verse with a simple rhyme scheme. This could be said to be fairly unusual, as in other poems such as To The Sea he uses very complex rhyme schemes. He often chooses to rhyme between stanzas, and this is clearly a very conscious and crafted decision. Larkin also makes use of traditional poetic forms – for example, The Card-Players takes the form of a sonnet. The fact he has chosen to use free verse could show that High Windows has a modern setting, unlike The Card-Players which is a narrative set around the 17th century. It could also be a suggestion that the collection deals largely with universal and simplistic theme such as life and death, and thus the simplicity of the rhyme scheme epitomises this. Other structural decisions that appear in High Windows can also be seen in other poems. Larkin often uses italics to show that someone other than the main narrator of the poem is speaking. ‘That’ll be the life; no God any more, or sweating in the dark†¦ ‘ is being spoken by someone of the previous generation looking at the speaker in their youth. This also occurs in Sympathy in White Major, which includes such lines as ‘He devoted his life to others’, which seems to be being said by someone at the speaker’s funeral. The Explosion includes italicised lines being spoken by a priest – ‘The dead go on before us†¦ ‘ – and Vers de Societe includes such lines as ‘All solitude is selfish’ and ‘Virtue is social’, which seem to be an outside voice reproaching the speaker for his behaviour. High Windows can thus be clearly compared to other poems that use this technique. By the end of the collection, the use of italics is recognisable. Larkin also often makes use of a ‘final image’ at the end of his poems, something that is meant to sum up the content of the poem. In High Windows, the line ‘Rather than words comes the thought of high windows’ is one of the most memorable. Similarly, The Explosion has the image of the ‘eggs unbroken’, and Money’s entire last verse is occupied by the image of ‘looking down from long french windows†¦ ‘. High Windows is the only one that includes the prelude ‘Rather than words†¦ ‘, and illustrates this technique very well. In this sense, High Windows makes a very appropriate title, both as the title of a poem and as an image. The juxtapositioning between coarse and lyrical language is also present in High Windows, as in various other poems. This coule be said to show the difference between traditional poetic language and more modern poetry. High Windows has a transition from the beginning, and lines such as ‘†¦ I see a couple of kids†¦ ‘ and ‘†¦ I guess he’s fucking her and she’s wearing a diaphragm†¦ ‘, to the end, with lines such as ‘the sun-comprehending glass†¦ ‘ and ‘that shows nothing, and is nowhere, and is endless. ‘ This juxtapositioning is used in This Be The Verse, between ‘They fuck you up, your mum and dad’ and the seemingly out of place ‘†¦ it deepens like a coastal shelf. ‘ Similarly, Sad Steps begins with the image of ‘Groping back to bed after a piss’ and ends with ‘that wide stare is a reminder of the strength and pain of being young’. The theme of observation and looking down through a window is also a common one throughout the collection. The image of High Windows is one that provides an appropriate title, since it could be a metaphor for themes such as reflection upon life, which is clearly prominent in poems such as Sympathy in White Major, Dublinesque and The Explosion. Sad Steps makes use of a similar window metaphor – the speaker seems to have an epiphany after ‘parting thick curtains’ and seeing the moon. The Old Fools also includes mention of ‘lighted windows’ that represent the memories of somone’s life. Money has the image of ‘looking down from long french windows’ at a town that is meant to represent various aspects of life. High Windows also deals with the concept of religion. It suggests that religion was something that older generations were forced to think about when they didn’t want to, and that now, this has been replaced by sex and freedom. The phrase ‘bonds and gestures’ suggests that the speaker believes that religion and other such ‘restraints’ were only meant as a show, and were not really what people believed in. High Windows shows a rather cynical view of religion, suggesting that it no longer matters in modern society. This view is mentioned briefly in The Building as well, with the mention of ‘a locked church’ and the comparision between patients of the hospital and an ‘unseen congregation’. Vers de Societe uses the line ‘playing at goodness, like going to church†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, clearly suggesting that Larkin believes religion to be a shallow waste of time. In this manner, High Windows accurately reflects what appears to be Larkin’s view on religion. However, in poems such as The Explosion, religion is viewed in a very different way – it becomes something that offers hope, and something to be revered. It mentions that the dead men ‘Are sitting in God’s house in comfort’. As this is the final poem in the collection, it could suggest that the actual message Larkin is attempting to convey is one of hope and faith. As High Windows suggests the opposite, it could be considered a misleading title poem. Throughout High Windows, many of the poems explore the theme of young people being somehow ‘separate’ to the older generation. To do this, Larkin often makes use of a speaker who is outside the events of the poem and observing the actions of others. The speaker of High Windows seems to be a middle-aged man looking at teenagers. There is a sense of the cyclic nature of life in this poem, as he also alludes to the fact that someone older than the speaker probably watched him when he was young. This also appears in Annus Mirabilis. The youth of today are often connected with sexual freedom – Larkin is very frank about ‘bonds and gestures pushed to one side’ allow the young to have sex and be more free. This is similar to the ‘sort of bargaining’ mentioned in Annus Mirabilis. This Be The Verse also includes the cyclic nature of life. The speaker claims that ‘Man hands on misery to man’, which suggests that every generation is similar to the last, just slightly different, and this continues throughout all of life. Because High Windows is so similar to many of the other poems and show so well the main themes of the collection, I do think that it is a very appropriate title poem. However, there are also many contradictions within the collection, and so it would be almost impossible to pick one poem that shows every element of the collection. High Windows serves as a good introduction to many of the concepts discussed within the collection, and also paves the way for further exploration of these themes.

Artist Antonio Martorrell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Artist Antonio Martorrell - Essay Example His writing career is quiet brilliant and precise at the same time. He wrote La piel de la memoria that came under translation by Andrew Hurley as ‘Memory’s Tattoo’ and ‘El libro dibujado’5 meaning the drawn book. Presently, he is a regular columnist for Escenario that is a section of El Vocero, Puerto Rican newspaper6. His accomplishments as an artist are quite plenty. Winner of Bienal de Arte de San Juan, he has provided illustrations to many authors like ‘Alma Rosa Flor, Heraclio Cepeda, Nicholasa Mohr, and Pura Belprà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢7. One of his illustrated books, ‘ABC de Puerto Rico’ was later confronting burning under the governance of Carlos Romero Barcelà ³ by the Educational Department of Puerto Rico. In November 2006, Antonio’s house faced burns leading to a loss of thousands of dollars worth of artifacts. He currently runs workshops in Ponce and New York. Antonio Diaz-Royo’s biography, ‘Martorell: the Adventure of Creation’8 is the most elaborate work on Antonio Martorell’s life to date and an ovation to his terrific contribution to the world of

From E Business Support to Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

From E Business Support to Strategy - Essay Example The internet, intranet, mobile networks and other types of digital expertise have made a functional value chain with customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and traders synchronized in the new age of web marketing. The apparatus and pillars of e-business strategies consist of online advertising, receipt of payments over the Internet, on-line dealings and auction transactions over the Internet. E-business strategies vary for small and medium scale businesses. E-business strategies also create profits from current channel integrity maintenance, paid marketing deals, franchisees and subscriptions. (E-business Strategy, n.d.) E-business strategies use information and communications technology to enhance businesses. E-business is more concretely defined as the transformation that takes place in business processes due to the application of technologies and new ideas to deliver additional and improved customer value. (Andam, 2003, p.7). The introduction of the internet and other network and web technologies has made companies rely more and more on e-business strategies. An up-to-date e-business strategy generally consists of effective and efficient management of the supply chain to guarantee enhanced coordination between the wholesalers and the dealers of different products. This means to synchronize the entire supply chain starting from the source up till the ultimate delivery of the products. The value chain framework also involves the value shop and value network. Service providers like hospitals or consulting firms create value through the value shop process while, the brokering or intermediary actions (like banking and telephone companies) are carried out through value network management (Torbay, Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2001, p. 6). E-business strategies are also used to enhance customer services and build better customer relationship management to ensure the utmost level of customer satisfaction.

Toulmin argument paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toulmin argument - Research Paper Example This is a city that puts a premium to attracting businesses by giving generous tax incentives. It is fast growing as a city and with it various concerns like increased crime rates, environmental and health concerns, property taxes, public transportation and police protection have some citizens worried and they feel these issues need increased government attention. The city gives a great deal of emphasis and focus on environmental issues. It has put up a government Web site where citizens can e-mail their various concerns. In particular, there is a section in the Web site where important health issues are given importance by the Health and Human Services Department (HHS). One particular Web page under the HHS page is the Environmental Health Services page which is concerned with certain public health issues like proper sanitation, food safety, waste disposal and management of disease-carrying pests and insects such as bed bugs, cockroaches and mosquitoes (http://charmeck.org 1). This paper is concerned with the last time item mentioned, which is disease-carrying mosquitoes which is not given enough attention by the local government. Mosquitoes are capable of transmitting many diseases like malaria, dengue, yellow fever, filariasis and West Nile virus (WNV). Among disease-carrying insects, cockroaches, flies and mosquitoes are the worst with mosquitoes capable of breeding quickly and spreading their diseases through vectors or those carriers of the virus. One important vector for most diseases carried by mosquitoes are birds. In previous instances, North Carolina always investigated the presence of dead birds and tried to determine their cause of death by conducting autopsies on the dead birds. However, since a West Nile virus has long been confirmed in North Carolina, health authorities stopped doing those autopsies on dead wild birds and no longer overly concerned. It is this dangerous sense of complacency that might lead to unnecessary suffering and death

European Environmental Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

European Environmental Agency - Essay Example We are a main information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public" (p.1). The agency works towards reaching its primary goals in the following ways; "By providing a wide range of information and assessments of: The state of the environment and trends, Pressures on the environment and the driving forces behind them, Policies and their effectiveness and Outlooks/scenarios," (EEA, 1995-2008 p.1). Further promotion of the works of the group come with, "The European Environmental Agency (EEA) Scientific Committee has called for the suspension of the EU target of 10% biofuels use in transportation by 2020, and is recommending a new, comprehending scientific study on the environmental risks and benefits of biofuels," Further elaborating that, "The Scientific Committee assists the management board and executive director of the EEA by providing scientific advice and delivering professional opinions on any scientific matter in the areas of work undertaken by the Agency. The committee comprises 20 independent scientists from 15 EEA member countries, covering a variety of environmental fields," (Green Car Congress 2008, p.1). Each individual organization has a listing of primary responsibilities that are the primary focus for the organization, as well as the body of memb

Abuse of prescription of narcotics in primary care and its prevention Dissertation

Abuse of prescription of narcotics in primary care and its prevention - Dissertation Example Journal Issue, Pages: Journal of General Internal Medicine Vol. 21 No. 6 Pages 652-655. Year published Years data collected: Published in 2006. Purpose: To determine in community health care environments the level of satisfaction with regard to training received on current practices in the management of pain among the care providers. Methodology, Variables Design, Sample, Instruments: Qualitative study. Variables Design: Issues involving reaching optimal control of pain in patients and approaches that would assist in improving prescribing of opioids in managing chronic pain. Sample: 67 attending physicians, 19 nurse practitioners, 3 physician assistants, and 22 family practice residents, making a total of 111 participants from 178 selected. Instruments: Survey questionnaire relating to satisfaction with training and care delivery with regards to chronic pain, issues concerning chronic pain management, possibility of prescribing opioids, and estimation of the probability of psycho-soc ial co-morbidities Findings: From a wide perspective there was low satisfaction among primary care providers in satisfaction of the treatment of chronic pain. For most of the attending physicians the training received in chronic pain treatment during their medical education and residency training was insufficient. For most of the care providers the major barriers to optimal pain treatment were patient self-management, patient, psychological factors, and patient compliance. There was a low rate of willingness to prescribe opioids, with the factor of the patients selling the opioids being the main barrier. Moe frequent visits raised the likelihood of willingness to prescribe opioids. Comments, Implications, Limitations: Primary care providers hold the view that the patients are the biggest barrier to optimal chronic care in primary care settings. Implications: The findings of the study suggest that education and training of primary care providers in chronic pain treatment should have a greater focus on patient oriented approaches in the management of chronic pain, and how to deal with substance abuse and addiction. Strengths: Survey questionnaire grounded in earlier studies, with assistance from a group consisting of primary care providers, researchers, and a pain specialist. Limitation: Small sample size limits the generalization of the findings of the study. Theme – 1: Lack of education of primary care providers about pain management. Unique Identifier: Sullivan 2 Authors: Sullivan, M. D., Edlund, M. J., Zhang, L., Unutzer, J. & Wells, K. B. Title: Association Between Mental Health Disorders, Problem Drug Use, and Regular Prescription Opioid Use. Journal Issue, Pages: Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 166 Pages 2087-2093. Year published Years data collected: Published in 2006. 1998 and 2001. Purpose: To investigate whether mental disorders enhance the risk of opioid use or whether opioid enhances the risk for mental disorders from a large cross section of the population. Methodology, Variables Design, Sample, Instruments: Cross-sectional Qualitative study. Variables: Dependent Variables – Regular prescription opioid use. Independent Variables – Mental health and problem drug use. Sample: 6439 individuals matching the inclusion criteria from the 1998 and 2001 waves of the population-base survey Health-care for Communities (HCC). Instruments: Data from the 1998 and 2001 waves of the population-base survey Health-care for Communities (HCC). Findings: Patients on regular prescription opioids had the higher risk probability by two to three times to seek mental health assistance. Continued use of opioids by patients from 1998-2001 was associated with a higher risk for common mental