The interaction between language and thought

Maximising the Linguistic Hypothesis: Does Language Determine Thought?

Arrival is a film that takes the linguistic hypothesis — 'human thought is shaped by the language one uses' (the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis) — to an extreme visual conclusion. In this film, the alien language functions not as a mere object of translation but as a kind of intellectual tool that fundamentally redesigns the cognitive framework of Louise Banks herself.

Louise's process of learning the Heptapods' logograms means that she evolves away from the human mode of thought accustomed to linear time, toward a non-linear mode of thought that perceives the flow of time simultaneously. This symbolises language acquisition as an 'upgrade' of human existence itself.

1. The Transition from Linear to Non-linear Thought

Human language fundamentally follows the linear sequence of 'past-present-future' in step with the flow of time. When Louise first encounters alien script, she tries to interpret the aliens' messages based on this linear mode of thought. But the Heptapod language is not bound by these temporal constraints. This language trains Louise's brain to process all information in one instant, simultaneously.

This process is akin not merely to memorising words, but to changing the very 'sensory filter' through which Louise views the world. In fact, communication style is shaped by the sense a person feels most strongly, and this is connected to the way they interpret the world. Through the alien language, Louise learns to process information in a visual and holistic manner — as if a person with an auditory communication style interprets the world through hearing. The alien language is teaching her a new 'way of seeing.'

2. The Danger of Mistranslation: Conflicts Born of Linguistic Limitation

The most critical juncture in Louise's process of learning the alien language is the danger of 'mistranslation.' The message the aliens leave, "Offer weapon," is mistranslated by humanity as a command to 'provide a weapon.' This mistranslation is an inevitable error that arises because Louise is still trapped within the linear linguistic structure of human language. She becomes stuck in the binary human concept of 'attack' and 'defence' embedded in the word 'weapon.'

But Louise — having evolved into non-linear thought — does not interpret this message simply as the word 'weapon.' As a linguist and as a being with non-linear thought, she proposes the possibility that this message may be a misunderstanding meaning 'new technology' or a 'tool' rather than a 'weapon.' This proves that her cognitive change is not merely the acquisition of knowledge, but the securing of 'flexibility of thought.'

3. The Union of Time and Language: The Language of Fateful Choice

Ultimately, in this film the union of language and mode of thought deals with the most abstract concept of all: 'time.' The Heptapod language rejects the linearity of time, and through this language Louise realises that she can be a being who, 'knowing the future,' chooses to experience the precious moments of the present regardless. This process of choice is itself the final product of linguistic and cognitive transformation.

Louise's learning of the alien script is not simply in order to communicate with the aliens; it symbolises the 'intellectual transformation' that humanity must first undergo in order to communicate with an unknown entity. Her linguistic growth is the process of finding an answer to the most fundamental philosophical question necessary for the survival of the human race.