Reactions

"Do the words we utter arise as a result of our thoughts, or are thoughts determined by the linguistic systems we happen to have been taught?"

Here is how I interpreted this: Either our thoughts are already coherent ideas, ready to be expressed in the language we use, or our our thoughts are formed in the limitations of the language we think in. For example, a person fluent in both English and Aboriginee, two languages that developed seperately from one another. Can they concieve a thought and express in to have the same meaning in both languages? If so, the first is true. But if the thought is conceived in one of the languages, it might be exceedingly difficult or impossible to express in the other language, thus the second hypothetical will be true.

Is he suggesting that our upbringing and background limits our thought processes because of the speech we are accustomed to hearing?

I do not think that the upbringing or backround creates any concrete limits to thought processing. Thet can certainly cause obstacles. An example would be a child raised in the home of a KKK member. All throughout their childhood they are taught the prejudice and evils of their parents. That can limit their social interactions and how they think and deal with the people they are taught to hate. But that can be overcome by casting off the prejudices they were taught, when recognized they are wrong.

(Steve Szumski)