Description

A fascinating examination of how we are both played by language and made by language: the science underlying the bugs and features of humankind’s greatest invention.

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 un

Language vs. Reality

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Paperback by N. J. Enfield

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A fascinating examination of how we are both played by language and made by language: the science underlying the bugs... Read more

    Publisher: MIT Press
    Publication Date: 3/5/2024
    ISBN13: 9780262548465, 978-0262548465
    ISBN10: 0262548461

    Non Fiction , Dictionaries, Reference & Language

    Description

    A fascinating examination of how we are both played by language and made by language: the science underlying the bugs and features of humankind’s greatest invention.

    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 un

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