Essay - Whorfian Hypothesis Tis Nature's Work that Man Should Utter Words...

Whorfian Hypothesis

Tis nature's work that man should utter words,

But whether thus or thus, 'tis left to you

***** do as seems most pleasing" (9)

Dante's Paradiso

Introduction: How relevant is the Whorfian ***** (WH) - also referred to as the Sapir-Whorf hypo*****sis - ***** language learning, in particular for the person who learned (or is *****) English as a second language? It is no secret ***** *****re are conflicting views on the meaning of and application of WH - and on ***** value of this hypothesis about language. What are some ***** those conflicting viewpoints that ***** reflected in the academic community? This paper will review ***** available literature on the subject and offer value judgments ***** the significance of WH in various applications and learn*****g environments.

***** *****sis is straightforward: What w***** Whorf's contribution; what are scholars saying about him; and has "Whorf-*****" proven real*****tic ***** effective in meaningful linguistic and cultural settings?

A. M. Halpern, "[Review of] Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf," American Sociological *****. In this article critic Halpern briefly re***** the writings ***** Whorf, found in ***** book published after Whorf's death, *****, Thought, ***** Reality. No matter that it is short, there ***** value in this critique; readers learn that Whorf's impact on American understanding of *****, from the point ***** view of noted economist / engineer Stuart Chase, was equal to ***** Einstein accomplished in physics. And *****, because of Whorf's untimely death (of cancer) at the age of forty-four, Halpern writes, some of what Whorf accomplished ***** anthropology and linguistics was actually unfinished *****hip, albeit his "provisional insights have been treated as definitive formulations."

Hugo A. Bedau, "[Re***** of] Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected writings of Benjamin ***** Whorf," Philosophy ***** Science. In ano*****r but far more in-depth critique of the book published following ***** passing, Bedau makes a ***** ***** identifying numerous gaps and flaws in Whorf's work. But first, Bedau quotes Whorf's "***** precise formulation of the linguistic relativity principle," as the late linguist / engineer preferred to call it. ***** follows:

*****ll observers are not led by ***** same physical evidence ***** the same picture of the universe, unless *****ir ***** backgrounds are similar, or can in some way be calibrated" (p. 214 of Whorf's *****; p. 290 of Bedau's critique). Whorf was certainly aware, Bedau continues, that he left his ***** "far ***** adequately formulated, let along confirmed"; and further, Whorf surely understood that his hy*****otheses would make a substantive contribution to social science "only if further investigation showed *****ly what testable hypotheses it entailed," Bedau explained. Deserving special attention from future and present day scholars is ***** idea ***** a picture of the world - what he termed "metaphysics," "thought world," "conceptual scheme" and "ideology" (pp. 58, 147, *****, 241 in Whorf's book; 291 in *****'s *****) ***** as "dist*****ct from but related ***** the language background, all non-verbal behavior, and ***** rest of a culture," Bedau continued.

***** while *****'s