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

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Wed Dec 6 09:28:23 PST 2000



>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



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