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Re: Language superiority, improvement, etc.

From:Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
Date:Thursday, October 15, 1998, 17:08
Douglas Koller wrote:
> but the 'primitive' in 'primitive > technology' (and, gee, what cultures and/or races could be described as > having "primitive technology"?) stands glaringly unmarked
Uh, I think that stone tools are primitive technology when compared with computers. What's wrong with calling the kettle black?
> And why? Because we can discuss computers > (implication: industrial/info-tech societies are superior).
That was not at all what I meant. In fact, I think that in many ways our culture is inferior to techonologically primitive cultures. But that's not the point I was making. My point was that in discussing our culture and technology, English is superior to a language spoken by a technologically primitive culture. Likewise, in describing their culture, their language is superior to ours. For example, primitive peoples (from here on, primitive means low-tech) tend to have more complicated kinship systems, fitting for cultures which place a much greater value on the family than we do; as well as much more sophisticated vocabularies for nature.
> Well, sure, as a concept.
And that was exactly what I was trying to point out. As a concept, superior languages are valid, and it is a worthy goal. Just as a perfect government is a valid concept, but impossible in practice. Does that mean we shouldn't try to improve government? That we should accept tyranny? -- "It's bad manners to talk about ropes in the house of a man whose father was hanged." - Irish proverb http://members.tripod.com/~Nik_Taylor/X-Files ICQ: 18656696 AOL: NikTailor