Exploring The Flaws of Language in Accordance with John Locke

In a perfect world, language would be considered perfect. Every phrase is interconnected with an automatic idea, and every sentence, however fragmented, still reads as smoothly as the next. In an ideal environment, every person would have the ability to figure out language without the need of learning basic principles beforehand. However, that is not the case in actuality. Language is flawed, language is imperfect, and language is ever-changing. The latter notion towards language is the one that Locke resonates with the most within his work in book III of An Essay on Human Understanding. His approach to language as an inexact concept is a rather correct one.

To begin, Locke elaborates on the imperfections of language in regards to the utilitarian aspect of human communication and general discourse. Locke acknowledges the grave importance of words for documenting human intelligence and history, as well as for personal record-keeping purposes. After all, it is through language and writing, and accounts previously kept that we are able to piece together bits and pieces of our past as humankind, and as civilizations. Locke emphasizes the importance of recording human thoughts “for the help of our own memories,” meaning that language and writing, however flawed both concepts have manifested themselves to be, are methods which we must use in order to better understand ourselves, and therefore understand others and ultimately think on more critical terms, (Locke 817). Much elaboration is drawn upon the complicated nature of language. Locke’s take on the reasoning for language being so complex is because every individual learns language differently, and therefore every individual also experiences language on a completely different wavelength. Thanks to communication theory we have learned that this process involves multiple steps; it involves not only the disbursement of knowledge and language, but also the reception of it, and the interpretation and cognition that comes with the said process. For humankind, the best method of communication all leads back to language, and consequently writing through the use of said language.

Locke argues that the communication process, like language, is quite subjective in its means. The only real reason that we can attribute meaning to words, is because the meaning of words have been previously taught to us, and ultimately meaning is a learned behavior. Thus, Locke’s argument for language being imperfect comes into place. The final word on the matter is that the entity on the receiving end of the communication process, which involves language and cognition, will never truly understand what the initial meaning was. The reasoning behind this being that there is so much room for error thanks to the irregularities of language, meaning, and reception, (Locke 821). There are an array of factors that can complicate the cognition and overall complication of the intended meaning of language; they vary from individual to individual and correspond to many different aspects of a person’s life, experiences, and preconceived notions that therefore differ from other entities.

Moreover, much speculation is drawn on Locke’s end when searching for what importance should be placed on meaning in regards to language and communication. When directly constructing any type of notion towards the imperfection of language, it must be acknowledged that meaning is subjective at all costs and this is due to every person’s experiences and learned ideas on language and communication, (Locke 817). For a brief moment, Locke engages in discourse geared towards using sounds as differentiating entities within language, because it is a sheer necessity for efficient communication. He talks about language having “voluntary and indifferent signs of any ideas” and that an individual may use “what words he pleases to signify his own ideas to himself,” meaning that everyone’s learned meaning of a word or an idea or signifier is unique to them. Going back to the notion of language being flawed, Locke emphasizes the fact that we all use different words to form meaning of different ideas, as a means of language being flawed, and therefore not universal at all, (Locke 817). He states that our intended meaning of language will always imperfect due to the nature of miscommunication and of different variations of cognition, (Locke 822).

To continue, Locke further explores the duality involved within communication and language. The whole ordeal is flawed, but we must constantly use civil and philosophical spectrums in order to advance our knowledge and understanding of language, (Locke 817). In regards to civility, for Locke it pertains to the “communication of thoughts and ideas by words” and mainly includes acts of ordinary violence and everyday life, (Locke 817). What is meant by the concept of language and its imperfections being rooted within the philosophical is the fact that language must involve common use, and must be used to “express in general propositions certain and undoubted truths, which the mind may rest upon and be satisfied with in its search after true knowledge,” (Locke 817). What Locke means by this elaboration is that language, despite its many imperfections can still serve us through a variety of means and across different aspects of our lives. The possibilities and chances for cognition of language, and for the comprehension of communication on many levels is actually endless due to the duality that is set within language itself.

To enumerate, the ultimate conclusion that Locke is drawn to us that the “chief end of language” is to be understood. One might think, well yes this is obvious, but not quite. We have to go back to the beginning and understand why language is so flawed, and that despite so many complications within the communication process we are still able to understand one another through the use of language. The imperfection of words comes mainly from ambiguity, which is rooted in the ideas that they somehow represent, (Locke 818). Therefore, language is incredibly flawed because the “ideas [that language and words] stand for are very complex, and made up of a great number of ideas put together,” (Locke 819). Much of how we interpret language as humans is derived back to cognition and personal experience of concepts and ideas. Cognition of language must occur, however skewed and flawed in order to be able to communicate with one another. In the end, what Locke ultimately uncovers as the truth to the imperfections of language is that it is a concept encompassed by a range of flaws, mixed modes, and ideas. However, it is through the reception and output of language, the writing which stems from it, and the communication process and its stages that language becomes more than just an idea we can pair with a word.