maket_N_verjin.qxp


The Problem of Thinking and Language: 
Concept

The paper focuses on the distinction of language andthinking in the scope of conceptology. 
Let us first make a clear distinction between what we

know about thinking and language from what we do not
know. We know that thinking is a process that takes place in
the nerve nets of the brain. V. Turchin calls thinking “a
stream of conscious representations”. He writes,
“Representations of linguistic objects, words and sentences,
occupy a distinct place among all representations in the
process of thinking” (Turchin 1985). 

While imagining a certain word in our mind we mentally
pronounce it, listen, and possibly see it written.  This

phenomenon is called “linguistic representation”. According to V. Turchin, the stream
of linguistic representations is precisely what is ordinarily called thinking. Thinking is
characteristic of human beings; it is not found in animals. The so-called ‘’abstract’’
thinking is actually thinking in words, the stream of linguistic representations. Without
abstract thinking, the achievements of thought in which the human race takes such pride
would have been impossible. 

The importance of “linguistic representations” is that they are uniquely related to
words and sentences as the material elements of the material system ‘’language.’’ This
system is the aggregate of all words and sentences pronounced orally, transmitted by
telephone and radio, written on paper, and so on, in short, the aggregate of what might
be called the higher nervous system of the material body of culture. 

As for the essential nature of language it is cognitive. We are interested in the form
of language in which the human mind is completely reflected. Language functions as a
means of communication, it is fashioned as a system of signs to meet the elaborate
cultural and communal needs of human societies. Michael Halliday calls language
“social semiotics”, that is to say, language is a system of signs which are socially
motivated or informed in that they have been developed to express social meanings. The
meaning of a word is determined by the way this word is used in linguistic activity. Each
word bears the imprint of all the sentences in which it has ever been used. 

Language is a means of human communication and functions as the treasure-house
of culture. Between these two phenomena, that is to say, language and culture, stands a
human being. Language, culture and human beings are interconnected and
interdependent, they cannot function separately. A human being sees the real world in
his/her own way, represents it with the help of language the elements of which are the
words that have different meanings. We have tried to draw a scheme to illustrate what
has been said above:

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Linguistics Armenian Folia Anglistika

Stela Israyelyan



Real world Thinking/Culture Language

Things, phenomena representations words

As is seen from the scheme, thinking and language are closely connected with
culture. A word expresses not the thing or phenomenon of reality itself but its
representation which is bound to the thinking of a human being. Language as a means
of expressing culture fashions the individuality of a person, his/her mentality, behavior,
etc. Words are the elements of language, representations are the elements of thinking.
The interconnection and interdependence of language and culture result in the concept.
Thus, a concept is an element of linguo-culturology. 

One of the most desirable wishes of people is to be understood by others. In order to
understand others one must know the concepts of the nation whose languages one is trying to
learn. Every language has its concepts. The main components of concepts are, on the one hand,
the meaning, and on the other hand, the values which can be different among various nations.

There are two main ideas when describing concepts; either we agree that each word
is a concept or there must be some distinction between simple words and concepts.  

A word can be a concept in one language but not in another. For example, a smile
is a concept for Americans. It is well seen in the motto of the American life “Don’t
worry, be happy, keep smiling”. But “a fixed smile” is a sign of stupidity for Armenians. 

Most of the concepts that people learn and use are those that they choose from the
culture in which they are brought up. The individual does not invent them, he/she
acquires them in the course of communication. The invention of new concepts is much
more difficult. Functionally, a stream of linguistic representations does not differ from a
sequence of their material correlatives, words. In fact, it is precisely the linguistic objects
which preserve and transmit information and “operate as the elements of linguistic
models of reality” (Turchin 1985). Linguistic activity is taught to the child in the same
way as he/she is taught to walk, to play, to wash, to eat, etc. As a result the child
becomes, so to speak, plugged into the language: he uses the models already available
and enriches it with new ones. So is the case with the concepts. People do not invent new
concepts with ease, they rather acquire the concepts of their nations just as the words.  

The words are different linguistic objects but we consider them to be carriers of a
single concept because they are indistinguishable in the course of communication.  

Language is a system and its concepts have meaning only as elements of the
system. A word acquires its meaning by the way it is used in linguistic activity. V.
Kassevich recognizes the following two functions of the concept: 1. to serve as an
element of reasoning - that is, to be a method of shaping thought. 2. to concentrate the
already existing thoughts and knowledge of an object in oneself. 

“This duality is a result of the system nature of the concept. The linguistic object
(word), which expresses a concept is used as an element for constructing a model of
reality and is associated functionally - that is, in linguistic activity (also in our
imagination) - with all models in which it participates” (Kassevich 1977). 

There are several general classes of concepts. Following V. F. Turchin, we distinguish
two types of concepts in the scope of language and thinking problem. He says, “We have

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Armenian Folia Anglistika Linguistics



before us two cybernetic systems. The first system is the human brain. Its functioning is
individual human thinking. Its task is to coordinate the actions of separate parts of the
organism in order to preserve its existence. This task is accomplished, specifically, by
creating models of reality whose material body is the nerve nets and which we therefore
call neuronal models or concepts. The second system is language. Its functioning is
linguistic activity in society. Its task is to coordinate the actions of individual members of
society in order to preserve its existence. This task is accomplished, specifically, by
creating models of reality whose material body is linguistic objects and which we therefore
call linguistic models. Like the brain, language is organized hierarchically. The functional
elements of this hierarchical system are the logical (linguistic) concepts” (Turchin 1985). 

When a baby begins to understand speech and talk he/she acquires initial neuronal
concepts which are considered to be independent of language, and then logical concepts
can be considered reflections of these initial neuronal concepts. Under the great and direct
influence of language the most complex concepts are formed. The linguistic activity of
the society dictates the association of representations on which these concepts are based.
The concepts are plugged into the child’s brain in the process of learning the language. 

Thus, the linguistic system is set in motion by the human brain. Without the brain,
language is dead. The brain is strongly influenced by language. The concept stands between
language and thinking. Each person thinks and expresses his thoughts in his own way with the
help of words. Each word, or more exactly, each notion can become a concept. One notion can
be a concept in one language and not be one in another.It is connected with the culture, ethnic
mentality, way of living, geography, history and many other social conditions of the given
language. Our conclusion can be illustrated with the help of the following scheme:

THINKING           concept LANGUAGE

References:

1. Glushkov A.N. (ed) (1979) Cybernetics Dictionary., Kiev: URE. 
2. Kassevich V.B. (1977) Elements of General Linguistics. Moscow: Nauka.
3. Turchin V.F. (1977) The Phenomenon of Science. New York: Columbia University Press.
4. Halliday M.A.K. (1976) Cohesion in English. London: Longman Group Ltd. 

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Linguistics Armenian Folia Anglistika