The Whorf Theory Complex: A critical reconstruction (repost)
The Whorf Theory Complex: A critical reconstruction (Studies in the History of the Language Sciences, Book 81) by Dr. Penny Lee
English | 1996 | ISBN: 1556196180 , 1556196199 | ISBN-13: 9781556196188 , 9781556196195 | 334 pages | PDF | 39 MB
English | 1996 | ISBN: 1556196180 , 1556196199 | ISBN-13: 9781556196188 , 9781556196195 | 334 pages | PDF | 39 MB
At last — a comprehensive account of the ideas of Benjamin Lee Whorf which not only explains the nature and logic of the linguistic relativity principle but also situates it within a larger ‘theory complex’ delineated in fascinating detail.
Whorf’s almost unknown unpublished writings (as well as his published papers) are drawn on to show how twelve elements of theory interweave in a sophisticated account of relations between language, mind, and experience. The role of language in cognition is revealed as a central concern, some of his insights having interesting affinity with modern connectionism. Whorf’s gestaltic ‘isolates’ of experience and meaning, crucial to understanding his reasoning about linguistic relativity, are explained. A little known report written for the Yale anthropology department is used extensively and published for the first time as an appendix. With the Whorf centenary in 1997, this book provides a timely challenge to those who take pleasure in debunking his ideas without bothering to explore their subtlety or even reading them in their original form.