Is the truth obscured by language? Essay

Truth is public, independent of any superstars belief and eternal.1 Language completelyows us to convey knowledge from one person to another by recording our thoughts and feelings and communicating these to others. However, I think that our knowledge can be affected by our capacity to communicate through linguistic communication. Truths are obscured and our visiting of them is influenced by the language that they are expressed in. A truth may be measuredly concealed or misrepresented. The context in which it is expressed will also affect our understanding of it.Our understanding of something may be obscured by the ambiguity of language. A expression could urinate a range of meanings. Often the context in which a word is intentiond determines its meaning. We use language differently and respond differently to the various uses of language, depending on the context in which it is expressed. But in some cases, because of ambiguity, it is possible to get confused. If I say, Visi ting relatives can be so boring it could mean two different things. I may be expressing that I do not enjoy going over to visit a relative, or that I get bored when relatives pay back to visit me. Both interpretations are relevant to the same context and thus the possibility of confusion arises from ambiguity. The truth, that is, how I really feel, is obscured when the sentence is interpreted in a different way.The use of language leads to homeifications, which determines our attitude and behavior. I think that in the case of generalizations, often the words may not mean anything but it is our schematic reactions, which determine our response towards that which is being generalized. As well as reflecting reality, language may also fabricate it. Blondes are classified as being reticent. This has given rise to the widespread use of the phrase dumb blonds and innumerable dumb blonde jokes. The words create reality to the extent that whenever someone meets a blonde person, his/her initial reaction is that he/she will be dumb. Such stereotypes exist in most aspects of casual life.They contribute to our opinions and these preconceived notions lead us to reach assumptions, which may not necessarily be true. condescension this, we still cling to our notions and as a result, our understanding of the truth has been altered. This also happens when we make inferences and judgings. Whenever we come to a conclusion about something based on what we know, it may not be valid. Once we make our judgment and express it in words, we are forced to think along those lines and reduce the possibility of arriving to a in the buff conclusion.When I say that laborer hurt Jill, we think that zany, a boy, has physically hit Jill or maybe has been the cause of emotional pain for Jill, a girl. But the only instruction presented in the statement is that Jack is a living being and did something that could cause Jill to suffer. Jack and Jill may both be dogs, or Jack may kick in hurt his dog Jill. We cannot be sure of what the true facts are. Nevertheless, we assume more than the information presented in the statement. Therefore, I view that language can create and maintain reality and make us believe something even if there is no basis on the true facts.People may deliberately avoid ordering the truth and employ language to do so. We say that children tell fibs, accused persons and criminals tell lies, witnesses commit perjury, politicians mislead the mass, and lawyers misrepresent the truth. These are all different ways of expressing that a person has say something that is not true. They may do so to persuade others of a certain point of view or win an argument, or simply to sell a product or make a profit. Politicians, particularly, use words, not to enlighten or reveal the truth but often to conceal and deceive. Politicians are skilful at using phrases that fall soothingly on the ear but are empty of meaning. These phrases have been so commonly us ed that they cease to mean something, but they still create the feeling of reassurance and the politicians ensue in gaining the peoples trust.For this purpose, they may use long, hard to define and ambiguous words. Politicians, with the help of the media, have even perverted the meaning of certain words. For example, in the recent refugee situation, through the articles in the newspapers and the statements of various politicians, the people have been led to believe that boat-people, refugees, asylum-seekers, illegal immigrants all mean the same thing. The people assume that all refugees are boat-people, all boat-people are illegal immigrants, and that asylum-seekers have no rights.2 The word freedom mean to be free from political oppression, but now it means freedom from wants and needs, huger, unemployment, illiteracy, sickness, etc. something promised by the government. The politicians may also use vagueness in language. A statement like My government will take fortified count ermeasures is vague and does not really promise anything but it gives the effect that they will try their best. Thus, I believe, that language can be used to deliberately conceal the truth.I think that the truth can be obscured by the language in which we express them. The extent to which it is obscured would depend on the context. Classifications would lead us to make assumptions, which may not be true. Our interpretations and the judgments we make from them would create a difference between what is the truth and what we understand from the expression of that truth. People may deliberately use language to obscure the truth. The language of politics is knowing to conceal the facts. Advertising misleads the consumer. The truth remains the same. It cannot be changed but it can be misrepresented. I believe that when communicating the truth through language, it is our understanding of the truth, which leads us to believe something that is not true, therefore obscuring the true facts.Bi bliography1. philosophy An Introduction to The Art of Wondering2. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http//plato.stanford.edu/3. Ways of Knowing An Introduction to Theory of Knowledge. Michael woodworker4. Thinking About Thinking. Antony Flew5. Introductory Readings on Language. Wallace L. Anderson and Norman C. Stageberg6. The Story of Language. Merio Pei7. A squeamish Line in Bigotry Article Philip Adams8. The Corruption of Language Article Leslie Snyder9. Perraults Durable Myth Cinderella Female Role Model Propoganda class handout1 Ways of Knowing An Introduction to Theory of Knowledge. Michael Woodman2 A Nice Line in Bigotry Article Philip Adams