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Talk:World History Lecture Nine (view source)
Revision as of 20:25, April 8, 2009
, 20:25, April 8, 2009no edit summary
:::::: FredCorps, I appreciate your edits, but I respectfully disagree with your statement that "no language is superior to another." Suppose I invent a new language today that has only ten words. Is that equal to Latin? No, I don't think so. Suppose a tribal language is discovered on a Pacific Island containing less than a thousand people and no written work. Is that language likely to be equal to Greek? Of course not. Indeed, not only is it implausible for all languages to be equal, but such equality is ''impossible''. It is as impossible as claiming that all buildings are of equal height. In fact, none are.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:47, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::: FredCorps, I appreciate your edits, but I respectfully disagree with your statement that "no language is superior to another." Suppose I invent a new language today that has only ten words. Is that equal to Latin? No, I don't think so. Suppose a tribal language is discovered on a Pacific Island containing less than a thousand people and no written work. Is that language likely to be equal to Greek? Of course not. Indeed, not only is it implausible for all languages to be equal, but such equality is ''impossible''. It is as impossible as claiming that all buildings are of equal height. In fact, none are.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 10:47, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::As long as we're at it, let me try and clarify. Andy, when you say that not all languages are equal you mean "Not all languages are equally capable of expressing the same ideas in the same way." Some languages faciliate the expression of complex ideas with relative ease. Others lack even the vocabulary to express the idea, let alone in a succinct way. Not all languages are equal in ''vocabulary and ability to express ideas.'' That's an observable point that is indisputable.
:::::::However, are some languages ''better than others?'' Perhaps, but this is a different question than "are all languages ''equal,''". Fred is right when he says that each language works for the society that uses it. So perhaps we can say that not all languages are equal ''in abilities,'' but that all languages are equal in ''usefulness for the societies that use them.''
:::::::Similarly, we can say that one language is ''more primitive'' than another, but we're talking about linguistic characteristics. We're not necessarily saying that a functionally primitive language is ''inferior.'' [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 16:25, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
*I couldn't give a "top ten" list of old composers (as opposed to "new" ones; Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, Zappa), but I can narrow my personal preferences to 20:
*I couldn't give a "top ten" list of old composers (as opposed to "new" ones; Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, Zappa), but I can narrow my personal preferences to 20: