Research Paper on:
Language of Thought Theory and Fodor

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
processes which govern human thought are highly debated. Most researchers feel that language and thought are intricately connected. From a human context we know that language is a  skill which allows us to communicate our thoughts to others and in so doing to attain desired "biological, cognitive, and social/behavioral feedback" (McDonnell, 1977). Thought, however, must exist if  language is to occur. Exactly how thought occurs is a question which has occupied the minds of many of the worlds greatest thinkers. Jerry Fodors views on this  question were first published in 1975. Fodor argued that thoughts occur in a kind of mentalese. Fodors Language of Thought theory is interesting in its relation to the  work of others in the field who argue over whether language is an innate or acquired characteristic and how animals and humans differ both in their ability to think and  in their ability to verbally express those thoughts. Fodors Language of Thought Theory is especially interesting when compared to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, a  hypothesis developed by Benjamin Lee Whorf (a linguist and anthropologist) and Edward Sapir. The Sapir-Whorf theory argues that language is a finite array of lexical and grammatical categories that  group experiences into usable classes which vary across cultures but influence thought. The theory maintains that a concept cannot be understood without an appropriate word for that concept.  The contrast between these two theories can best be illustrated with a consideration of humans verses animals. While it is obvious that humans  have language, and consequently the thought patterns which drive that language, this is not so obvious in animals. Not only does man have language, he often applies that capability