more from Keith Devlin

Single Idea 8088

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 5. Language Relativism]

Full Idea

The Hopi time myth does not appear to have been stopped for a moment by the fact that Whorf himself subsequently wrote that the Hopi language does indeed have words for past, present, and future

Clarification

The myth was that the Hopi have no concept of time, or words for it

Gist of Idea

People still say the Hopi have no time concepts, despite Whorf's later denial

Source

Keith Devlin (Goodbye Descartes [1997], Ch. 5)

Book Reference

Devlin,Keith: 'Goodbye Descartes: the end of logic' [Wiley 1997], p.111


A Reaction

Arguments for relativism based on the Hopi seem now to be thoroughly discredited. Sensible people never believed them in the first place.