Language and thought are the same thing.

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The statement asserts that language and thought are the same thing, which is a claim about their relationship.
First, consider that language is a system of symbols and rules used to express thoughts, communicate, and encode information. Thought, however, refers to internal cognitive processes such as reasoning, problem-solving, memory, and imagination, which can occur with or without linguistic expression.
Second, there is evidence that thinking can occur without language. Children before acquiring full language can plan actions and react to situations, and adults can perform nonlinguistic tasks (visual-spatial reasoning, pattern recognition) that rely on mental representations not strictly linguistic.
Third, many philosophers and cognitive scientists argue for a distinction between thinking and speaking. People often think in images, sounds, or nonverbal representations even when no words are spoken or written.
Fourth, the idea that language completely determines thought (the strong form of linguistic relativity) has been challenged by research showing that core cognitive abilities exist across cultures with varying linguistic structures, indicating that thought can operate independently of language to a significant extent.
Fifth, language certainly shapes and constrains how we categorize, describe, and communicate our thoughts, but this influence does not imply that language and thought are identical processes or that one cannot occur without the other.
In summary, while language and thought are deeply interconnected and influence each other, equating them as the same phenomenon overlooks cases where thinking occurs without language and where language merely conveys but does not define cognitive content.

Language & the Brain -... Quiz #1: The Nature of Language

Language and thought are the same thing.

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