Sapir-Whorf Redux! (was Re: Max Weber's Genteel Racism)

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>At 10:32 PM 12/5/00 -0500, Yoshie quotes Jim Blaut. 
>
>IMHO, Blaut is one of those writers who in three opening paragraphs manages
>to convince the readers that reading the remaining n pages is the utter
>waste of their time.
>
>wojtek

I've had my share of disagreement with the late & lamented Jim M. 
Blaut, for I objected to his equation of "historical priority" with 
"superiority," & I still do.

However, Jim had a virtue of _believing in neither the Sapir-Whorf 
thesis nor Max Weber_.  Anyone who believes in the magical powers of 
the so-called "European civilization" -- to say nothing of the 
miraculous virtues of double-entry book-keeping -- is not in a 
position to criticize believers in the Sapir-Whorf brand of 
linguistic determinism.  It is utterly ridiculous to think -- as 
Kelley does -- that one can criticize Sapir & Whorf by appealing to 
Weber!!!

Yoshie