Single Idea 3917

[catalogued under 14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 4. Paradigm]

Full Idea

What we call "scientific thought" is a specialisation of the western Indo-European type of language.

Clarification

Meaning it depends on a particular language

Gist of Idea

Scientific thought is essentially a specialised part of Indo-European languages

Source

Benjamin Lee Whorf (An American Indian model of the Universe [1936], p.246)

Book Reference

'A Companion to Epistemology', ed/tr. Dancy,J. /Sosa,E. [Blackwell 1993], p.246


A Reaction

This is the beginnings of an absurd extreme relativist view of science, based on a confusion about meaning and thought.