Yes, I think there are cases in which language shapes itself through our thoughts and is creative in the sense of leading thought. For instance many writers say they just follow the language of their thoughts not knowing. really, where it will take them. They don't know what they will write until it's written! Today I am trying to write a brief essay for a journal on the continuing relevance of Breton and Trotsky's 1938 Manifesto. I had some vague ideas but didn't really have a language for them until I began writing. The words are shaping my thoughts. No vivid pictures. Other times I mainly have mental pictures and simply "paint" them with words. Mostly it's a mix of the two. But with my Breton-Trotsky effort, it's a word struggle. We make pictures with words and we make words with pictures, back and forth, not always equally. WC --- Mike Mallory <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> There are many myths, including Genesis, Egyptian > and the Laguna people of > New Mexico which give language the power of > creation. In all three cases > some entity speaks words and the things represented > by those words "appear". > While I wouldn't go so far as to say that without > language there could be no > thought, I do believe these myths have something > important to tell us about > the power of language to shape our thoughts. > > Mike Mallory > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Cc: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 5:49 PM > Subject: [5] Re: Speech preceding or following a > thought? > > > > 'Language is the mother of thought, not its > handmaiden.' Karl Kraus. > > I second that. > > Boris Shoshensky > > > > -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Alas the following does not prove the thesis that > the thought comes before > > the words. Since what they are wiring is the > speech-motor cortex, it means > > they > > are tapping into the brain after it has already > chosen the word it would > > speak > > if it could. > > > > If they could find signal activity leading INTO > that cortex, it might > > amount > > to pertinent evidence. > >> > >> > http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357162,00.html > >> > >> Seven paragraphs down, it says: > >> > >> --------------- > >> "By measuring the brain signals in this area > while Erik thinks about > >> speaking, we have been able to build a decoder > that translates the > >> brain signals into the speech sounds Erik was > thinking about," says > >> Guenther, an associate professor of cognitive and > neural systems at > >> Boston University. > >> > >> "The output of the decoder is used to drive a > speech synthesizer, > >> which creates sound output." > >> > >> Signals from the brain are received using three > tiny wires. The > >> measurement of these electrical signals is very > complex but eventually > >> may be able to decode Ramsey's thoughts and > translate them into > >> recognizable speech. > >> ------------- > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > > ************** > > Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch > "Cooking with > > Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. > > > (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4& > > ?NCID=aolfod00030000000002) > > > > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > Put an end to annoying pop ups! Click here! > > > http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2221/fc/Ioyw6i4t7aMl24AzUvn4b0jdUGJ3z6 > > VXjfz21imcc82None9omd4gM/?count=1234567890
