What is Language?

Language-   Language can be defined as a tool of communication and speech. It is used to facilitate the expression of thoughts and opinions through communication, different interpretations as well as formality and expressing different feelings and learning. Language can be made of signs such as sign language or verbal communication as well body language and within that there is are a range of underlying meanings that everyone determines themselves. 

What are the three key features of language?

3 Key features of a language:

1. Semanticity:Words must be represented symbolically i.e. they must mean the same to all speakers of that language

2. Displacement:The language must be able to communicate the past and thefuture, as well as the present.

3. Productivity:It must be possible to combine a limited number of sounds of signs into and unlimited number of messages.

What is the link between language and communication?

All language is communication BUT not all Communication is Language

What are the different types of functions of Language?

Functions of a language:

1. Informative:The function of informative language is to describe the worldby saying that something is like this, and this something happened. These type of statements can both be considered true or false depending on whether or not what reality is coincides with the description. For example: The cannonball is round. 
2. Expressive: The function of expressive language is to express feelings of emotion,or to envoke feelings of emotions. “He was crying over the loss of his mother, whilst being angry about the murder that killed her".
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Directive: The function of directive language is to use language to hint in order to cause or prevent an action on someone else's part. Rhetorical questions ie “ Would you mind being quiet” or “could you drive slower" to make someone understand that you have the need to slow down. 
   
   
4. Social/Ceremonial:  This is referring to the occasions where we simply utter noises in a ritual sense rather than actually meaning them or wanting an answer: “ How are you?” This is simply meant to ease a long social interaction.
   
   
5. Performative: The times that words transform reality by the mere fact that they have been uttered. This is especially in common in sports where the words “ you are out” can determine the outcome of the whole game. 
   
   
   
   
   The difficulties of Language?
   
   
   Ambigeous words: Ambigeous words are the ones that have multiple meanings and hence can be understood in multiple ways. Certain words like free and art have multiple definitions within the dictionary and hence it may be difficult to determine which word is used in a certain context such as an argument?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Vague Words: 
   
   
   Certain words like tall,big, long etc. Describe qualities but don't specify the quality in detail that something may have. They can also mean the different things to different  people i.e. a variation in having the same signifier and different types of signified. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Metaphors
   
   
   Metafors that we may consider natural to us, ie that the past is behind us, may in fact not be natural to other people with a different culture. For example the Aymara speakers who spend much of their life on rowboats travelling with their front to where they just came from, see the past as in front of them, while their future is right behind.
   
   
   
   
   Irony
   
   
   Irony gives language an edge of difficulty s one may not understand what we are trying to say as something might be ironical yet the speaker might perceive it as the truth... etc.
   
   
   
   
   Theories of Language 
   
   
   Definitions theory
   
   
   The definition theory stands for the fact that something can be defined or has a definition present 
   
   
   
   Denotation theory
   
   
   
   
   Image theory
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Types of Knowledge II

Personal Knowledge

The first type of knowledge is personal knowledge, or knowledge by acquaintance. 

This means that we know more information about a certain person or it could also simply mean that we have knowledge about something that we have acquired but which are not explainable. 

This can include some things such as skills e.g. I can explain to everyone how ice-skating works in its basic form, but when it comes to certain tricks and twists that I do, its personal knowledge that is difficult to put into words or explain.... I just know it and experienced it.   

Another meaning for personal knowledge is by acquaintance. If I have met David, but can’t remember a single thing about him, then I probably wouldn’t say that to know him. 

Public Knowledge/ Second hand Knowledge

Public Knowledge is knowledge that is earned through the means of Authority i.e. School, Cultural Tradition, The Internet or threw the means of an Expert opinion. 
Cultural Tradition means that the culture we live in has influence upon our default or basic intellect or in simpler terms on how we see the world. An example of that could be reading a clock i.e. when I see a clock I read it using a 24h format so at midnight its 00.00/24.00 for me, whilst for an american it is 12.00am. Neither of these are better or less correct yet its just the way we have been brought up that teaches us the difference.
As cultural tradition stands for something that is done through the inherited wisdom of the community. We should keep to them yet keep an open mind towards some things and, understand that certain thing should or may change over time, and one persons wrong is another persons right. I.e. a culture where arranged marriage is norm, makes the people believe that this is the only way, whilst a person where you enjoy more freedom will think its wrong. Its about accepting certain things as they are but to keep an open mind and maybe dare to question them if necessary.

School is probably the biggest source of second hand knowledge, this is where most people get their univeral education and one of the places where we spend most of our time. School is meant to teach you to question thing and yourself, help you work your strength and improve/discover your weaknesses. The information provided should be unbiased if possible and show you both sides of the story.


The Internet is probably the most controversial source of information provided because whilst we can look up nearly anything and inform ourselves or watch something in mere seconds, we dont know if that information is true and in most cases there is no quality control either. Also there are many sites that look real but end up turning out as fakes such as this one.

The Tree Octopus

Expert Opinions

Due to the massive amount of knowledge that has been discovered over the last hundred years, it is no longer possible for not even a bright person to know everything. We have to rely or ask for the aid of an expert in a certain area in order to be sure that our information is correct and can be backed up if necessary. 

Ways of Knowing

Ways of knowing

First of all I learned about knowledge and the different ways of knowing and justifying what I learned. 
There is:

1: Language

Knowledge through other people, things we have either been told or read somewhere. However this may not always be right, as experts may get something wrong as-well. 

2: Perception

Personal experiences, but even our senses may be wrong. A person whom is color blind can't verify the color of flowers, as his/her senses tell them something else.

3. Reason

What is Deductive Reasoning?
Deductive reasoning is one of the two basic forms of valid reasoning, the other one being inductive reasoning. The main difference between these two types of reasoning is that, inductive reasoning argues from a specific to a general base whereas deductive reasoning goes from a general to a specific instance. Also, deductive reasoning, unlike inductive reasoning, is something that is based on a premise and then follows accordingly. Inductive and deductive arguments differ with regard to the standards of evaluation that are applicable to them. Thus, deductive reasoning is the method by which conclusions are drawn on the basis of proofs and not merely by assuming or thinking about a predetermined clause. The basic principle on which deductive reasoning is based is:

All X are Y (premise)
All Y are Z (premise)Hence, all X are Z (conclusion)

Premise 1: Typically men earn more money than women.
Premise 2:  I am a man.
Conclusion: Therefore I earn a lot of money.


4: Emotion

Emotions or feelings are unreliable as a foundation. Reason is the foundation for morality. We should instruct our feelings to conform to logic. Feelings should be like a warning bell that warns us of a moral situation of which we may not consciously be aware. 

What we have done so far (Part 1) 

We started this unit, by drawing up an image of the world and by agreeing and noticing, that each of us, have a different perception of the world depending on where we are from, and how we have memorized it.

E.g. to a person from europe like myself, europe i draw at a much bigger size, than say the usa because europe is my center of the world as I am from there. 

We continued by doing activities that involved us probing different statements such as: Napoleon was French. 

and testing where this time of knowledge would come from. This knowledge was acquired through Language that we got to know through Authority, this authority included history books and school and was aquired through the means of second hand or public knowledge. 


Another Area of Knowledge

Is made up of different ways of sorting out as to what the source of the said knowledge is. Or what type of category the knowledge belongs into. 

Different types of knowledge

Subjective knowledge: a view with influence from your own emotions or thoughts

• Objective knowledge: a view without influence from emotions; facts
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• Claim: can be true or false
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• Statement: concrete fact or observation
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• Rational: from definition or reasoning
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• Empirical: about world or of observations
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• Value judgments: from evaluation (emotions/moral)
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• Metaphysical: about the nature of reality or spirits beyond the physical

Questions to answer after every topic!

What did I retain from this Unit?


What did I find interesting?


How can you use this awareness about things you encounter in your daily life? (any specific examples from real life, which can illustrate this "TOK knowledge"?


How I use this in real life?