BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

LANGUAGE and CULTURE 1)3)4)

← Back

Language is a cultural whole, i.e. is the indispensable carrier of values and norms in any human group.

Moreover, language is a system in its own right. The study of the structures of languages, starting with F.de SAUSSURE may even be considered as one of the oldest roots of systemics.

The linguistic system is different in different human groups and contributes to maintain and even to deepen cultural differentiation, as it is transmitted, transformed and reconstructed through generations of users.

In KORZYBSKI's terms, time binding is accomplished mainly by language use.

On the other hand, as emphasized by B. L. WHORF, every language bears significances proper to the community that evolved it. In his words, there is a: "… give and take between language and culture" (1972, p.143) whose effects he retraces in very different languages. This explains why, as said in Italian: "Tradutore, tradittore".

In a still more general way, D. BOHM and F.D. PEAT: "… argue that the whole area of perception and communication must be considered as an indivisible whole" (1987, p.142).

Similar comments about the problems of translation which result from crossing cultural barriers have been made by A.L. BECKER in his study of Burmese language and even script (1995)

Generally, only a good knowledge of other languages (specially for Westerners, of nonwestern ones) may lead to "defamiliarization" and the recognition of one's own biases.

And only this kind of jumping cross-cultural frontiers could help to end intercultural misunderstanding and distrust.

→ Semantics; Semiotics;Weltanschauung

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

We thank the following partners for making the open access of this volume possible:

© 2020 BCSSS Contact/Imprint