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Table of Contents
An American Indian Model of the Universe
Important Ideas
- Linguistic Determinism: The way we think, the way we categorize, compartmentalize, and compare information is determined by the patterns of our primary language. This can be seen by observing differences in patterns between languages of different families. This is also known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. (Whorf 191-192)
Introduction of the Article and Purpose of the Article
People of the Hopi tribe, according to Whorf on page 192, exhibit no sense of time as a linear, flowing concept. This is seen in the Hopi language as well, as “the Hopi language contains no reference to ‘time,’ either explicit or implicit”. Hopi language has a metaphysical system of its own, unrelated to the time-vs.-space model and general relativity models we use. Whorf aims to make the Hopi metaphysical system understandable to the audience through English language approximation. (Whorf 192)
The Metaphysics of the Hopi Language: Direct Comparison
According to Whorf on page 193, the English conception of metaphysics is divided into Time and Space, and time is further broken down into three subcategories: Past, Present, and Future.
On the other hand, the conception of metaphysics in the Hopi language is divided into Manifest (Objective) and Manifesting (Subjective).
- Manifest includes, to use English approximation, both the present and past (with no real delineation between them) and everything experienced by our senses.
- Manifesting includes not only the future, but everything that exists only in the heart (in our minds, to use English approximation).
