2004 Kempo Camp Literary Reference : Suzette Elgin's "Native Tongue"

During a lunch table conversation during 2004 MWSDC Kempo Camp, the topic was SF feministic science fiction, linguistics theories & martial arts.

Suzette Elgin’s book, “Native Tongue”, came to mind.

Amazon Link to Elgin's "Native Tongue"

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis :

According to a theory developed by the linguists Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Lee Whorf, language closely governs our experience of reality. Sapir writes in “The status of linguistics as a science”, (Language 1929.)

Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society. It is quite an illusion to imagine that one adjusts to reality essentially without the use of language and that language is merely an incidental means of solving specific problems of communication or reflection. The fact of the matter is that the “real world" is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group.

I was introduced to this linguistic theory by my study of the theories behind the construction of computer programming languages and the papers by Hoare.

…then…my Lovely Wife said I should read this book…. Anyway, I found the book quite compelling and thought-provoking. Apparently, the book is the first of a series. I had read the first two, “Native Tongue” and “The Judas Rose”. Apparently, the third in the series has been published.

What would these topics come up at a martial arts summer camp? That is an interesting question... :-)