But The World is Not Hierarchical
2009年01月29日05:49
English version is following. 僕はいつも世界は階層じゃないって思っていて、僕が何故そう思うかっていうと、すごく説明が難しい。 そもそも、僕は日本人だし、 僕に限らず、日本人であれは誰も世界が全て階層で表現できる、とは思ってない。 日本人であれば、普段冠詞のない言葉を話し、頭の中も冠詞がない状態のまま考えている。 あるものが同時にＡにもＢにも属しているというのは、何も不思議なことではない。
ところが、コンピューターというのは、とても西洋的な考え方で設計されている。 西洋には階層という非常に強い考え方がある。 そしてコンピューターの中では「階層」というものを中心にデータが考えられており、階層がとても重要な役割を果たしている。 だから、コンピュータを使って何かの存在を考える時は、必ず、それが何に属しているのか、それも日本人の様に「ＡもＢも」という風ではなく、必ず絶対的なひとつの所属を考えなければいけない。
ここに非常に難しい矛盾が隠れている。
このことを説明する時、日本人（多分アジア人全体）に向けての説明と、西洋人（多分冠詞を使う言語を話す人全体．．．なんとなくハンガリーの人とかは含まれない様な気がする）に向けての説明は、１８０度・逆向きの説明をしないといけないはずだと思う。
日本人にとって、「コンピューターが階層という考え方に基いているからこそ日本人にとってコンピューターは理解が難しいのだ」 という認識自体がない。 だから、階層という考え方から離れればいい、という発想自体に到達しない。 逆に西洋人は、階層という発想がまるで生まれた時から一度も外したことのないメガネのような存在になっており、階層を通してのみでしか物事を認識できないので、階層が問題なのだ、という発想に到達しない。
これを、誰が読んでも絶対に理解できる形で文章にするためには、どうすればいいのだろうか。
＝＝＝
I think the world is not hierarchical. The reason why I think in this way is perhaps related with the fact I have a strong idea about the difference of cognition between Asian and European. This thought is very difficult to explain to others for me.
I think you need an explanation of the reason why I feel it is difficult.
I have born in Japan and I have grown up in Japan. So I have a typical Japanese idea about the world and the cognition. There is no doubt that I am a Japanese. On the other hand, I have also been accustomed to computers which is strongly based on the idea of Europeans. For example, hierarchy is an idea that modern computer theories often apply with. I think hierarchy is an European idea since Asian do not regards much. I started my career in programming at the time I was eight years old. Therefore it can be said that I have been strongly influenced by European idea. I am familiar with them while I did not aware of it. I have never been educated in Europe or USA but the days working with computers make me think the world is able to be described by hierarchy. Because most of computing theories are based on the hierarchy.
But recently I have come to have an objection about this paradigm. I think the hierarchism works quite well in most of cases. But there are certain problems that Japanese or other Asian people easily solve but European people struggle.
I think this is because Asian do not think in hierarchical cognition. For example, Asian rarely falls in to binarism,too. Asian tend to think a thing is good and bad at the same time. And this is not allowed way to think in Europe.
These thought is a way that I just have been feeling in and there is no obvious and visible reason.
Today I looked up in the internet and I noticed that there are huge number of articles that is written about hierarchism. They bring me a lot of thoughts to me about the differences. Ofcourse there are very few books that is written about this difference.
I really don't know how I can explain it. Only I can do is just keeping thinking about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchical_model
ところが、コンピューターというのは、とても西洋的な考え方で設計されている。 西洋には階層という非常に強い考え方がある。 そしてコンピューターの中では「階層」というものを中心にデータが考えられており、階層がとても重要な役割を果たしている。 だから、コンピュータを使って何かの存在を考える時は、必ず、それが何に属しているのか、それも日本人の様に「ＡもＢも」という風ではなく、必ず絶対的なひとつの所属を考えなければいけない。
ここに非常に難しい矛盾が隠れている。
このことを説明する時、日本人（多分アジア人全体）に向けての説明と、西洋人（多分冠詞を使う言語を話す人全体．．．なんとなくハンガリーの人とかは含まれない様な気がする）に向けての説明は、１８０度・逆向きの説明をしないといけないはずだと思う。
日本人にとって、「コンピューターが階層という考え方に基いているからこそ日本人にとってコンピューターは理解が難しいのだ」 という認識自体がない。 だから、階層という考え方から離れればいい、という発想自体に到達しない。 逆に西洋人は、階層という発想がまるで生まれた時から一度も外したことのないメガネのような存在になっており、階層を通してのみでしか物事を認識できないので、階層が問題なのだ、という発想に到達しない。
これを、誰が読んでも絶対に理解できる形で文章にするためには、どうすればいいのだろうか。
＝＝＝
I think the world is not hierarchical. The reason why I think in this way is perhaps related with the fact I have a strong idea about the difference of cognition between Asian and European. This thought is very difficult to explain to others for me.
I think you need an explanation of the reason why I feel it is difficult.
I have born in Japan and I have grown up in Japan. So I have a typical Japanese idea about the world and the cognition. There is no doubt that I am a Japanese. On the other hand, I have also been accustomed to computers which is strongly based on the idea of Europeans. For example, hierarchy is an idea that modern computer theories often apply with. I think hierarchy is an European idea since Asian do not regards much. I started my career in programming at the time I was eight years old. Therefore it can be said that I have been strongly influenced by European idea. I am familiar with them while I did not aware of it. I have never been educated in Europe or USA but the days working with computers make me think the world is able to be described by hierarchy. Because most of computing theories are based on the hierarchy.
But recently I have come to have an objection about this paradigm. I think the hierarchism works quite well in most of cases. But there are certain problems that Japanese or other Asian people easily solve but European people struggle.
I think this is because Asian do not think in hierarchical cognition. For example, Asian rarely falls in to binarism,too. Asian tend to think a thing is good and bad at the same time. And this is not allowed way to think in Europe.
These thought is a way that I just have been feeling in and there is no obvious and visible reason.
Today I looked up in the internet and I noticed that there are huge number of articles that is written about hierarchism. They bring me a lot of thoughts to me about the differences. Ofcourse there are very few books that is written about this difference.
I really don't know how I can explain it. Only I can do is just keeping thinking about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchical_model
コメント一覧
Kohlrak 2009年01月29日 11:19
I've actually noticed a sort of hierarchy to the Japanese language, actually. For instance, the difference between だ, です, and 御座います. Those are always the big examples. Then there's, 食べる, 食べます, and お食べします, not to forget お食べいたします. Though, it's ironic because americans and europeans think they're better than asians (this happens alot, doesn't it?) for not having a hierarchy like the asians do, yet you say it's the other way around that we're the ones with a hierarchy. Interesting... I wonder who really has the hierarchy and who doesn't... Though i won't deny the binarianism (or would it be binarism?), as you can see in my previous sentence which only caters to 2 possibilities.
又、話さなくてすみません。とても忙しかったですな。Lang-8には、面白い日記を書きたいけれど、時間が有りませんでした。でも、覚えたら、ここに書きますよ。あかあつさんの英語の勉強に手伝うと思いますな。
又、話さなくてすみません。とても忙しかったですな。Lang-8には、面白い日記を書きたいけれど、時間が有りませんでした。でも、覚えたら、ここに書きますよ。あかあつさんの英語の勉強に手伝うと思いますな。
おかあつ 2009年01月29日 16:16
> I've actually noticed a sort of hierarchy to the Japanese language
Japan is a very special case in entire Asian countries. Japan really likes importing things from other countries such as cultures, habit philosophy and many things. What makes it very special is that the fact it is not only importing from others, but modifying them into the figure which is much more fitting to Japanese culture. For instance, animation is something like that.
> Though, it's ironic because americans and europeans think they're better than asians.
I am living in Thai now. Thai guys are actually very clever but many European thinks their self cleverer than Thai. To Look down on somebody is in another point of view, a weak point. Because I live here and have been seeing a lot of "better" Europeans who are easily controlled by Thais and help Thais. Most of them look down on Thais.
I have been living here and think why it happens and noticed that abstract logic sometime does not work in certain situations. Sometime logic becomes merely a stereotype.
Japan is a very special case in entire Asian countries. Japan really likes importing things from other countries such as cultures, habit philosophy and many things. What makes it very special is that the fact it is not only importing from others, but modifying them into the figure which is much more fitting to Japanese culture. For instance, animation is something like that.
> Though, it's ironic because americans and europeans think they're better than asians.
I am living in Thai now. Thai guys are actually very clever but many European thinks their self cleverer than Thai. To Look down on somebody is in another point of view, a weak point. Because I live here and have been seeing a lot of "better" Europeans who are easily controlled by Thais and help Thais. Most of them look down on Thais.
I have been living here and think why it happens and noticed that abstract logic sometime does not work in certain situations. Sometime logic becomes merely a stereotype.
Kohlrak 2009年01月30日 14:42
>>Japan is a very special case in entire Asian countries. Japan really likes importing things from other countries such as cultures, habit philosophy and many things. What makes it very special is that the fact it is not only importing from others, but modifying them into the figure which is much more fitting to Japanese culture. For instance, animation is something like that.
That was supposed to be the upside of america, but we really havn't lived up to that up side.
>>I am living in Thai now. Thai guys are actually very clever but many European thinks their self cleverer than Thai. To Look down on somebody is in another point of view, a weak point. Because I live here and have been seeing a lot of "better" Europeans who are easily controlled by Thais and help Thais. Most of them look down on Thais.
It's true, and i think it goes further than just Thai guys as well. I have my own theories that Arabia has the European Union wrapped around their finger so to speak.
>>I have been living here and think why it happens and noticed that abstract logic sometime does not work in certain situations. Sometime logic becomes merely a stereotype.
This is unfortunately true. However, recognizing this can help one realize that there is more to the problem than discovered, inquiring people to discover more.
That was supposed to be the upside of america, but we really havn't lived up to that up side.
>>I am living in Thai now. Thai guys are actually very clever but many European thinks their self cleverer than Thai. To Look down on somebody is in another point of view, a weak point. Because I live here and have been seeing a lot of "better" Europeans who are easily controlled by Thais and help Thais. Most of them look down on Thais.
It's true, and i think it goes further than just Thai guys as well. I have my own theories that Arabia has the European Union wrapped around their finger so to speak.
>>I have been living here and think why it happens and noticed that abstract logic sometime does not work in certain situations. Sometime logic becomes merely a stereotype.
This is unfortunately true. However, recognizing this can help one realize that there is more to the problem than discovered, inquiring people to discover more.
