Forming thought is a conscious activity. We create thought based on what we perceive through our sensory system, plain forms, or based on previous thoughts or a combination. The later however only are a mature (mainly adult activity or what we mainly observe in adult) activity. The former is mainly an immature (infant activity or what we mainly observe in infant) activity. Thought is the processed form which is different from the plain form and carries relation between forms. The process is the result of integration of brain with environment.
What do you think?
How do we form thought?
Re: How do we form thought?
Thought is formulated in language.
We have an impulse to put words together and to see if the result is satisfactory in terms of meaning and style. If not, we formulate anew.
Finally we offer the formulated thought to an interlocutor and hope for some valuable feedback.
We have an impulse to put words together and to see if the result is satisfactory in terms of meaning and style. If not, we formulate anew.
Finally we offer the formulated thought to an interlocutor and hope for some valuable feedback.
Re: How do we form thought?
I agree. Language is in fact relation between forms.
I agree. I however have the following questions: How a new set of words could convey a new meaning? How an interlocutor could grasp the new meaning?
Re: How do we form thought?
A new word is first defined, by formal definition or by an informal, contextual definition, in which an example is given, via comparison. C.o. Aristotle: "comparisons always start with describing similarities and continue into describing differences."
A brand new word may be defined by demonstration "I kick you in the patootie" and kicking the person in the shoulder; that defines the word patootie as shoulders.
A brand new word may define a brand new concept, like "fpaouigaergj is the action of teaching Czech to Burmese immigrants in South California" etc.
Thoughts always form by incorporating previous thoughts. In this they share a feature with systems.
Totally original thoughts don't exist, but totally new experiences and descriptions of them do exist. In this case the only way to make the interlocutor understand a new word is by 1. describing the experience (if possible, like telling a Nigerian national what snow is like); or by making them go through the experience (for instance, running current through their bodies to appreciate the power of the active ingredient in interrogation methods.)
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Re: How do we form thought?
If a human grows up isolated from other human contact, do they develop their own language? In other words, is language an instinctive, genetic skill for humans or is it predominantly something that is learned from others?