To what extent  does language shape our thinking?

-Language plays a part in many parts of our life, some says that it is what differentiate  between human beings while others disagree and say that our process of thinking isn't linked to our language. Personally i must say that the language we use to speak,whether we are bilingual or monolingual, i do believe that language is linked to our way of thinking and heres why. Since we can associate language with a certain culture, we know that within different cultures there comes different beliefs and those beliefs come with a certain manner of thinking. So i think language plays a massive part in the shape of our thinking process. 

Do people think differently in different languages? 

- Yes, and just basing this off from the answer above, since language is associated  with different cultures we can say that peoples thought process is based on what they know based on cultural acceptance which gives them  the freedom to think in a certain way. 

If you do not have words for certain situation, does it mean you do not have thoughts for them? 

-No it doesn't, remember that thought shouldn't only be associated with speaking, thought can also be liked with reaction and feelings. A person may feel something but not be able to express it, that doesn't mean that they don't have thoughts about the situation it's just they don't have the words to express them (Pain is a good example, people use hand movement and face gestures to issue pain) 

LANGUAGE WITH WAYS OF KNOWING 

• Do we think in language?  Why is that? 

We do  think in language because our thought process can be in language, for instance if something that triggers a reaction or a thought we would automatically have a thought process in our heads that we say in one of our languages (Personally: Arabic) and it is also believed that the language you react in is the sam language that is used when thinking within the think process. 

Do speakers of different languages inhabit different worlds? - Defiantly! I think that different speakers have different worlds due to the cultural beliefs of each one, for instance someone might be from a culture or a country that accepts or see's something as deemed "Appropriate" while other people may find it offensive, an example that Miss Fatima mentioned in class was "British humour". And that some people may understand the jokes while others find it offensive. So it demonstrates that different languages within different cultures inhibit different worlds and aspects like humour, ways of life and ways of thinking

How does human language differ from animal communication?   Do speakers of different languages know different things?

- Human communication and animal communication are different because well human speak and communicate through language while animals don't.. However humans do adopt some aspects that animals use for the source of communication such as body movement and normal reactions from both  sets of mammals. 

Does our language limit what we can know? 

- I don't agree that language does limit our knowledge, knowledge is a trait that we adopt from different aspects, language is the way we learn it. Education is the same throughout all languages.. For instance World War 1 isn't different in french than it is in arabic. However it is the way we learn based on the language we feel most accustomed too 

TOK HOMEWORK 

1)What have you learnt in the last two sessions about language? what came to your mind that you have not shared with the class? 

The one aspect that we ave discussed in class about language is how linked most of them are, we were shown a video that discussed the similarities in language and how we should really think on whether any language is different from ours, the one thing that came to my mind is that all languages do have a foundation tat it is built off. The origin of some language are religious based while other are history based, yet because language is such a diverse feature it is also increasing and our vocabulary is also getting larger within each new generations.

2) What is language? How important is body language across cultures?Do we think differently wen we speak more than one language? 

Langauge is the form of communicating and sharing/expressing your feeling from one person to another. Body language is based on different culture however also can be stereotypes. Some people believe that all Italians use hand movements when in reality that isn't the case, some Italians may have adopted it from their parents doing it while other people in mental find it a more effective way of expressing their opinion wit the use of body or hand movement. I do think that we do think differently , if the language that you speak is self taught so something you adapted from a class or perusal interest then yes i don't think language will effect the person way of thinking.But if the language is something that we know through country or religious origin then i do this it will play a part in the way we think or act upon certain situations that seem appropriate t the culture or religion we are associated with. 

How reliable is language?? Explore these aspects: (lost in translation, misunderstandings, legitimacy of language, language used in marketing, media, bias...) 

Language is the mechanism that all human beings use to communicate however some are portrayed  differently due to their platform and users of it. 

Through the Language Glass: How Words Colour Your World by Guy Deutscher

1st world claim: It turned out that it wasn't just the Ancient Greeks who never said the sky was blue. None of the ancient languages had a proper word for blue. What we now call blue was once subsumed by older words for black or for green. (In fact, this is why in Japan green lights are actually a bluer shade of green than in the rest of the world. The word used for the green of traffic lights is ao, which used to mean "green and blue" but now means blue. Rather than change the word, they changed the colour.)

Senses within knowledge  ( Memory)
Old home
Traditional food
Area, (Region)
Grass
Cotton Candy
Popcorn
Alcohol
Medicine
Blood
Chips
Candy
School
Erasers
Beach
  - Senses from the past can like to the cultural background that you grew up in, Certain smells that are linked with an individuals  childhood are the experiences that they lived through and its important to remember and associate these certain smells because it helps reminds us of certain moments from the past, And when remembering a certain time within our memory there is also a smell or sense we associate   the memory with.

Article Reading: https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2011/aug/17/memory-contaminates-perception. 

Memory  Contaminates Perception: 

- Written by  Kang, M-N, et al (2011) and posted on the public website "The Guardian". Th article demonstrates many interesting perspectives about the perception of individuals. Examples from the article " Working memory refers to our ability to hold and manipulate limited amounts of information for a short period of time. This information is usually relevant to the task at hand – when making a phone call, for example, you might repeat the number to yourself several times until you have dialled it; once you've dialled the number, you stop the repetition and then quickly forget it. In exactly the same way, visual working memory allows us to retain visual information as mental images in the mind's eye." which a piece that i personally found very interesting, It discusses the claim that working memory refers to our ability to hold ability and info for a period of time, Which makes me think and ask the question , Do humans only care about certain thing because they care? So when the example of the memory of the phone number, Do we just care about the number because we need it and once its gone then we forget because wedding need it, And this also has me linking this to the school example discussed in class, Do we just learn information   for a attest and once its over ewe tend to forget because we feel like we no longer need it ?

Optical Illusion Videos : 

1.)   The Boy who can see without eyes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsl1P3lotTU

The video discusses a boy who lost both of his eyes due to cancer, However thanks to doctors that gave

 him replicas of human eye he has began learning the ropes around the idea of making  judgements based on 

his senses and vibration, This is significant to TOK  due to the fact that it introduces a new way of knowing and 

explains how "Way's of knowing" can extend to more than language. 

- As we made the transition between the ways of knowing  within language and discussing the ways of knowledge 

within sense is different with each situational factor of a individual experience..

How does he compensate not being able to see? 

-With the help of doctors and advanced medicine and technology he is able to use replicas of eyes that allow him 

to use the senses to try and help him with the sounds of certain things that 

Senses we found 

 Nociceptive : relating to or denoting pain arising from the stimulation of nerve cells (often as distinct from that arising from damage or disease in the nerves themselves).

Proprioception: Proprioception refers to the body's kinaesthetic sense, or sense of locomotion (movement). This sense is derived from the action of the skeletal muscles and the"propriceptors" (movement sensors) that send sensations of movement to the brain. It is responsible for keeping track of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body, as well as measuring the amount of strength needed/being used to engage in physical tasks.

 Equililbrioception : Sense of balance or equilibrioception is one of the physiological senses related to balance. It helps prevent humans and animals from falling over when standing or moving.

Thermoception : is the sense by which an organism perceives temperatures. The details of how temperature receptors work are still being investigated. Ciliopathy is associated with decreased ability to sense heat, thus cilia may aid in the process.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE HOMEWORK 

YOUR CULTURAL REFERENCE 

How fast do people walk?

- People walk in very different ways, Some chose to walk very quickly to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, However some people prefer to walk at a slower pace to make sure that they get to their desired location as safe as possible.

How important is punctuality?

-Punctuality is very important to students and actually anyone who must complete a certain task within a time limit. Punctuality is doing a certain task before the actual deadline. However this certainly does relate to school students or even university students more than others just based on the deadline part of it. It is very important for someone to complete their work on time as most "Successful" people are the types of people that organise their time and work. It is also useful for other reasons, 1) Less stress when it comes to getting the work through, 2) Have time to do other tasks or things.  3) Gives the teachers or the person that is receiving your work a good idea about you in the organisation sense. 

How accurate are the clocks?

-Well, Not very accurate because of the whole idea of how "Time" was created and thought off it still has some people questioning "How do we know what the time is exactly" Rather than just judging it based off the suns position, So for instance when the sun is just about to come up then it would be morning, When the Sun is exactly above our head then its the after noon and when the sun goes down and the moon comes up then it is night time, So not many people believe in the whole number and time sections which is why not many people believe in the accuracy of the clocks/

How does specific language reflect attitudes about time?  

Would you say people are valued above time or time above people?

-I would say that when it differs with different people, For instance if someone is highly thought off in your life then there wouldn't be a doubt that it would be people over time but it all differs between the perspective, Time above people is based on how dedicated you are to your origination level.

• Is there value to ‘fill time,’ be productive and work efficiently?
• Is contemplation or meditation valued?

Theory of Knowledge

5/9/2016
- Today was the third lesson of TOK however this is my first blog entry for this course, Before beginning to discuss what the previous 3 classes consist off (Discussions+Ideas) I would like to first talk about what my take on TOK is.

- Theory Of Knowledge is the subject that teaches us as IB students "How to think". According to the TOK Book "Theory of Knowledge Oxford edition&University Press" To achieve a good grade in TOK it will need and require to show and acquire how good our thinking is and how we are able to thinks. But when it comes to the class the one thing that i learned form the last 3 classes is to always question things, Having Ms. Fatima ask "But how do you know" "Give me an example". I'm not going to lie when i say that it can get frustrating when i need to have an explanation for every statement that is made in class.  However class times are fun because of the discussions we have and the group arguments we share.

AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE 

Mathematics

1. Axioms 
2. Logic
3. Theorem 
4. Proof
5. Conjecture 
6. Deduction 
7. Empiricism 
8. Geometric Paradigm 

Ethics 

1. Moral Reasoning 
2. Empathy 
3. Values 
4. Altruism 
5. Moral relativism 
6. Self-Intrest theory 
7. Utilitarianism 
8. Value-Judgment 

History

1. Evidence 
2. Propaganda 
3. Social Bias 
4. Hindsight 
5. Pluralism 
6. Empathy 
7. Primary Source 
8. Secondary Source 

Human Science 

1. Observation 
2. Loaded Question 
3. Going Native 
4. Anthropology 
5. Stream of Consciousness 
6. Reductionism 
7. Free will 
8. Determinism 

Religious Knowledge Systems 

1. Polytheism 
2. Pantheism
3. Scriptures 
4. Fundamentalism 
5. Evangelism 
6. Religious pluralism
7. Secularism 
8. Monotheism 

Natural Sciences 

1. Pseudo-Science 
2. Hypothesis 
3. Confirmation Bias 
4. Paradigm 
5. Relativism 
6. Theory 
7. Falsification 
8. Rationalism 

Indigenous Knowledge Systems 

1. Tradition 
2. Culture 
3. Nomads 
4. Rituals 
5. Folklore 
6. Storytelling 
7. Observed Phenomena 
8. Ancestry 

The Arts 

1. Aesthetics 
2. Kitsch
3. Forgery 
4. Avant-Grade 
5. Catharsis 
6. Mimesis 
7. Beauty 
8. Contemporary