eyak language

a) What are the arguments on both sides of the debate in promoting a single language?: some people argue that promoting a single language is a positive thing because it will better increase communication between people who could not communicate before will not be able to communicate. however, some other people argue that with a single language will kill any kind of culture there is. 
b) How far should we go to save a dying language? What are the financial and cultural implications? i think that we should not try to save dying languages. even though it means that there will be an end to a culture, it is too costly to preserve language. in order to preserve a language, it needs to be recorded on paper with all the correct symbols and definitions along with correct pronunciation. even then, it decreases the urgency at which people are concerned with the dying language and will cause them not worry about its deterioration.  also, even though the language is preserved, the native people that speak it are also dying out. 
c) After reading: “Every Teacher is a Language Teacher,” what do think of the I.B. supporting International Mother Language Day? i do not support an International Mother Language Day. the IB that during an international Mother Language Day, there is to be no english, which is unfair to those who speak english as an only language. also, i see this day as a way of appealing to complaining cultures who think that the IB is forcing language on students since the IB only offers their program in either english, Spanish, or French.

earth vs eyeth

a) What is the primary argument of the students representing Deaf Culture? the primary arguement from students is that the president of galudet university is not "deaf" enough ands lives in the world of the hearing.
b) Why would the Deaf Culture students value a President of Gallaudet who spends more time in Eyeth over Earth? Shouldn't a President of a college represent all students? the deaf culture students would value a presidnt who spends more time in Eyeth instead of Earth because they would believe that the president has more of an understanding in deaf culture.
c) What are the advantages and disadvantages of a Deaf person spending too much time in either Eyeth or Earth? one advantage of a deaf person spending too much time in Eyeth is that they fully understand Deaf culture. an advantage of a deaf person spending time in Earth is that the deaf person can they can understand how we interact. however, a disadvantage is that if a deaf person spends too much in either world, they lack the knowledge about the other.
d) What is your opinion of the fight at Galludet? Should Jane K. Fernandes be President of Gallaudet? i think that the protests over the new galludet president is pointless on behalf of the galludet students. to protest a new school president becuase he is not "deaf enough" is childish. a president of a school is suppose to represent and lead the school, he is not suppose to be chosen by the student body.  

chapter 7 abel questions

1. How do Mill and Frege disagree with Russell about grammatical sentences and meaning?

   Russell argues that a sentence has meaning only when it is whole and complete. However, Mill and Frege argue that sentences have meaning because every word in a sentence contribiutes to the overall idea it is trying to convey.

2. Abel provides 8 distinguishing features of meaning.  Please provide your own example for each.

Indication: the snow outside means it’s cold.

Cause: when did this event happen?

Effect: thank you

Intention: we will go tomorrow

Explanation: how do you ride a bike?

Purpose: we did not need to fignt that battle.

Implications: we’ll go if it is sunny.

Significance: will we ever be able to stop war?

3. Why does Abel believe that science and metaphysics is involved in the discussion of linguistic meaning? Abel believes that science and metaphysics are involved in the disscussion of meaning because he believes that the world influences meaning. The meaning we convey about the world has to have evidence to what the world is like.
4. Aristotle provided 10 categories that defined “the range of applicability of a term.”(p. 65).  Please provide your own example for each.

Substance: the sequoia is a tree

Quantity: it can grow to over 100 feet tall

Quality: it is a very old tree

Relation: it is part of the Sequoioideae family of trees

Time: it is approximately 2200 years old

Action: it recycles carbon dioxide

Passion: it is being cut down

Situation or position: it is in a lumber mill

State or condition: it is now paper

5. How does Abel differentiate between Reference and Naming?

   Abel defines reference as how language affects the world, whereas naming is directly applying a word to something. Naming does not have any direct affect on the world, it is how we perceive the word which has the effect.

6. On page 66, Abel explains the historical significance of naming.  Can you think of any examples he left out?  Is there any contemporary example of which Abel would not be aware?

   I personally cannot think of any more examples

7. What is the main function of naming?  What doesn’t it do?

   The main function of naming is to label things. Without naming, there is no way to identify objects or describe them. However, naming sometimes does not denote a unique thing.

8. What is the difference between sense and reference?

   Abel describes sense as a description. A person can determine what something is if they have a clue of its applicability. Abel describes reference as that a word is assigned to. For example, the word ball is a word assigned to an object. The word has no direct meaning. However, telling someone about  a round object is describing an object which gives the person mental picture of what you are talking about. However, it lacks a label.  

9. How does Abel differentiate between Connotation and Denotation?  What about Intension and Extension?

   Abel describes connotation as a description of the word without any reference. Denotation is described as to what physical examples a word brings to mind. The intention of a word is what the word is supposed to mean, whereas extension is the total of everything that the word describes.

10. What does Abel mean when he says: “Though meanings require words, they are not identical to words.” (p. 68)?

    Abel means that a word depends on the meaning that it is trying to convey. No single word is linked to a single meaning.

11.   What is the connection between names and descriptions?  Do you agree with Abel that we use ‘linguistic symbols to organize experience” (p. 69)?

    The connection between names and descriptions is that names can be used as descriptions. I agree with able about using linguistic symbols because when we describe an experience, certain words and characters are used to refer to it.

12. Why is referential opacity a problem?  Be sure to mention his specific examples.

    Referential opacity is a problem because certain words, characters, and descriptions are not interchangeable. For example in the phrase “Samuel Clemens adopted the pen name Mark Twain to conceal his identity,” the name “Samuel Clemens is the only name that can be used in this sentence.

13. What is the problem of creating a “subsistent entity”? (p. 70)

    The problem for creating a subsistent entity is that there is no direct proof of its existence or fakeness.

14. How does Russell differentiate between “descriptive phrases and names” (p.70)?   
    14. Russell differentiates between descriptive phrases and names by saying that descriptive phrases do not have any particular denotation, but can be describe many different thing, (the grassy field), and names have a specific denotation or no reference at all.

15. What is the connection between language and Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description?

    The connection between language and Knowledge by acquaintance is that in order to name something, you need to be acquainted with it. Also, language is connected to knowledge by description because language is used to describe objects and experiences.

16. What is a word?  What is an icon?  What is an index?

    Words are descriptive, but not necessarily applied to a specific thing. A word becomes a name when it is directly applied to an object. An icon is a visual reference which represents a real world object. For examples: signs along the road that warn the driver that deer are known to cross the area.

17. Why is it important for philosophers to “clarify thought by clarifying language”?  Why are Scientists offenders” (p. 72)?

    Abel states that philosophers need to clarify their language because their thoughts are lost in their misuse of words. scientists are also offenders because they use words that have no denotation nor connotation.

18. What does Abel mean when he says “Just as meanings are not the same things as words, so meanings are not the same things as operations or methods or uses” (p. 73)? meanings do not apply to words only, but are also descriptive and sometimes do not need certain words or names to express the purpose. the same applies to actions where meanings do not need actions to express them