LINGUISTIC RELATIVISM

Linguistic Relativism is a complex philosophical theory that explores the idea that our perception of reality is not universal but rather filtered through our native language. Linguistic relativism is otherwise known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, accordingly named after Adward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, who helped develop the hypothesis.

There are two degrees of Linguistic Relativism. The first is linguistic determinism, the stronger version. It claims that language determines thought; if there isn’t a word for something in your language, you can’t think of that concept since you don’t know a name for it. This idea is heavily rejected today due to the extremity of the theory. The second degree is linguistic influence, or the ‘weaker’ version. This idea, the more accepted one, claims that language influences thought.

Here are a few examples that we can consider. The first is color perception. There’s a Himba tribe that has 3 different color categories only; therefore, they group colors differently and even see color contrast differently than others. Similarly, in Russia, many people are faster at telling apart light blue and dark blue than Americans because they have totally different words for the two, unlike Americans who use the same subtext of blue.

Another example is spatial orientation. Notably, we have the Kiik Thaayorre, located in Australia, who use cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West) instead of left and right. Therefore, these individuals are much more aware of their orientation than others are who just use left and right.

A less common example is time perception. While the English view time as flowing from left to right, the Hebrew and Arabic speakers see time going right to left. As a result, Arabs and the English view the passage of time differently, with reversed sequences, timelines, and perceptions of the future and the past.

Our final example, and perhaps one most of us are more familiar with, is the agency of grammar. In English, many say “She broke the vase,” whereas in Japanese or Spanish, others say “The vase broke itself.” As a result, the way people assign blame changes, influencing the way we perceive reality as a result of our vernacular skills.

However, Linguistic Relativism has a fair amount of criticism. Many argue that we all see red, just name it as something else; this entails that core cognition is universal and that language simply highlights what we all already perceive. In fact, evidence discovered using math, geometry, and emotions, shows linguistic similarities between languages.