I listened to this excellent podcast a while ago with Lera Boroditsky, a professor of linguistics at Stanford, and she said that the notion of free will isn't that interesting to Japanese philosophers and thinkers. Why? Because it is just implicitly obvious that you don't have it through the grammatical structure of the language.

Are there any Japanese speakers here, and can you comment on that? How would I go about learning exactly why the language supposedly doesn't allow for free will?

I highly recommend this podcast:Edge: How does...

I would like to read more about everything she says: how certain languages enhance certain abilities and shape world views, but it doesn't look like she has published any popular science books. I tried reading some of Benjamin Whorf, but it was kind of difficult to someone who doesn't know a lot of linguistic terminology.

BradP:Are there any Japanese speakers here, and can you comment on that? How would I go about learning exactly why the language supposedly doesn't allow for free will?

This sounds a bit weird - maybe the argument is that free will is more ingrained in the language, so there is less reason to debate and ponder about it. In Japanese, for example, they have a verb tense that is in a practical sense the same as saying "(he/she/it) wants to ....", and sometimes in East Asian languages, like in Indonesian, rather than using the future tense they instead put "want" (mau ke mana? You want (to go) to where?, vs English "Where are you going to go?").

So possibly what they mean is that, due to the structure of the language, there are no ambiguities about free will. You can easily express free will in Japanese anyway, I'm not fluent, but I know you can do that. If you want to learn Japanese, I'd recommend it, very cool sentence structure (very different, yet very simple in many ways), and the whole language is full of cool words ).

(there's also the cultural aspect - for example, while in West European culture, there's the sentiment that everything happens because either God or Science says so, in asia there seems to be more a feeling that everything is connected in some sense and that everything has a reason and consequence and a certain level of balance - maybe this is what is being referred to - note though, this is through an Australian's eyes, and while Australia's next door to Asia, we're still very anglo-celtic).

I would like to read more about everything she says: how certain languages enhance certain abilities and shape world views, but it doesn't look like she has published any popular science books. I tried reading some of Benjamin Whorf, but it was kind of difficult to someone who doesn't know a lot of linguistic terminology.

I recommend reading about various linguistic terminology on wikipedia, and every time you come across new terminology either look it up in a dictionary, look it up on wikipedia or try and break it down semantically speaking. It's tiring though, and I must admit that I gave up half way and ended up learning it at university instead!

ceigered:
(there's also the cultural aspect - for example, while in West European culture, there's the sentiment that everything happens because either God or Science says so, in asia there seems to be more a feeling that everything is connected in some sense and that everything has a reason and consequence and a certain level of balance - maybe this is what is being referred to - note though, this is through an Australian's eyes, and while Australia's next door to Asia, we're still very anglo-celtic).

Sounds very interesting. Could be also very interesting how that different views mixing. I.e. persons with strong Asian culture background who grow up outside of Asia. Why I'm not capable to speak 1000 languages. Would open such a refreshing culture access.

Ha, I like ceig's take on this.

It's true that you can easily express free will in Japanese, but the point here, that it just doesn't interest the Japanese, is correct. I speak Japanese and have some experience with the culture, and I can tell you, their mental collectivism is responsible for their "dislike" of free will. They have words for one's true feelings, one's façade shown before society, obligations to society, and so on. They believe more or less in a harmonious, uniform culture, which is how a good deal of them live. The younger Japanese don't conform quite as much, though.

What Boroditsky says about languages that shape world views and such...that's part of the Safir-Whorf hypothesis, which states that language affects the way we think. Basically that it has enormous power in our psychology. But it's understandable you couldn't read too much of Whorf. xD Those guys are out of this world.

Kraughne:They have words for one's true feelings, one's façade shown before society, obligations to society, and so on.

Are you talking about honne and tatemae?

And it's kind of strange that nobody bothers to post something at the Japana Forumo to invite them...

Though I find the argument a bit stretching, I am still interested to see how this develop.

LyzTyphone:And it's kind of strange that nobody bothers to post something at the Japana Forumo to invite them...

Though I find the argument a bit stretching, I am still interested to see how this develop.

Bedaŭrinde mi ne povas paroli la japanan flue (I can, however, ask them "Does your samurai-cat have an apple inside that gundam?", but I assume this isn't exactly helpful in the slightest ). By the way Lyz what's your perspective, assuming that there are more similarities between Chinese (Taiwanese in particular?) and Japanese culture than there are between Anglo-European and Japanese, even if Japanese and Chinese culture are still very different? (forgive me if I'm wrong about any of that).

Mutusen:Are you talking about honne and tatemae?

Yup.

Here's a question for you manga fans: do the characters in Japanese comics reflect what is being talked about here? What's your opinion?

Miland:Here's a question for you manga fans: do the characters in Japanese comics reflect what is being talked about here? What's your opinion?

Actually, that isn't quite the case, unless the manga deals with traditional social ideas (like Welcome to the N.H.K.).