Understanding Of Cultural Relativism And Cultural Determinism

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Name
Institution
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is a hypothesis that states that the actions and thoughts of an individual are determined by the language(s) they speak. Thus, what an individual sees in the world, or how they interpret the world, is based on what they say. This hypothesis has two main tenets. The first one is the principle of linguistic determinism, whose one version states that human interpretation of the world is determined by their native language. Another version of this tenet states that language only shapes an individual’s thoughts and view of the world.
The second tenet is the principle of linguistic relativism, which states that individual languages are different. In the words of Benjamin Whorf, “we cut nature up and ascribe significance as we do largely because we are parties to an agreement that holds throughout our speech community and is codified in the patterns of our language” (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, n.d.). This statement signifies that every language is coded differently and the interpretation of the world is specific to a language and should be treated as so.
I agree with parts of the hypothesis, but not the whole hypothesis. The parts I agree with are in relation to the version the states that language only shapes our thoughts and behavior. This is because language is determined by our culture, and each culture places importance on different things. As such, our interpretation of the world will be influenced by the things we have placed more importance on. “No languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality” (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, n.d.). This statement reveals that reality...