BOOK

Language vs. reality : why language is good for lawyers and bad for scientists

Enfield, N. J., 1966- author

2024

Overview

Language is said to be humankind's greatest accomplishment. But what is language actually good for? It performs poorly at representing reality. It is a constant source of distraction, misdirection, and overshadowing. In fact, N.J. Enfield notes, language is far better at persuasion than it is at objectively capturing the facts of experience. Language cannot create or change physical reality, but it can do the next best thing: reframe and invert our view of the world. In 'Language vs. Reality,' Enfield explains why language is bad for scientists (who are bound by reality) but good for lawyers (who want to win their cases), why it can be dangerous when it falls into the wrong hands, and why it deserves our deepest respect. Enfield offers a lively exploration of the science underlying the bugs and features of language. He examines the tenuous relationship between language and reality.

• Publisher: The MIT Press
• Subject: Communication Social aspects. / Cognition. / Psycholinguistics. / Sociolinguistics. / Language.
• ISBN: 9780262548465

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Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
P95.54 .E54 2024	1	BOOK	CATALOGING