Language as Reality Representation: A Philosophical Analysis of Language, Thought, and the World

Raka Ananda (Universitas Negeri Medan)
Muhammad Natsir (Universitas Negeri Medan)
Sherin Girsang (Universitas Negeri Medan)
Uswatun Hasanah (Universitas Negeri Medan)
Febry Aliyah Sheryl (Universitas Negeri Medan)

JPBS
Vol. 1 No. 4 (2026): Agustus-Oktober

The development of digital communication and artificial intelligence increasingly demonstrates that language is not merely a tool for transmitting information, but a medium that shapes how humans understand experience, interpret reality, and construct shared meaning. In this context, the relationship between language, thought, and the world has become increasingly relevant, particularly as human experience encounters various forms of linguistic representation produced by both social environments and technology. This study aims to philosophically analyze how individuals experience and make sense of language as a representation of reality and how the relationship between language, thought, and the world is understood through such experiences. The study employs a qualitative approach with an interpretive phenomenological orientation. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, contextual observations, and analysis of relevant documents, and were subsequently analyzed thematically to identify patterns of meaning emerging from participants’ narratives. The findings reveal four main themes: the process of finding language to understand experience, language as an interpretive framework for reality, the tension between experience and the limitations of linguistic representation, and the negotiation of meaning in digital interactions and the use of artificial intelligence. The findings demonstrate that language neither completely determines thought nor functions as a passive mirror of reality, rather, it constitutes a practice of meaning-making that enables experience to be articulated, negotiated, and reflected upon. Theoretically, the study reinforces the relevance of Wittgenstein’s account of meaning and language use while enriching the dialogue with perspectives on linguistic relativity and contemporary cognitive research. Practically, the findings emphasize the importance of strengthening linguistic, epistemic, and digital literacy in education, as well as promoting critical and reflective use of AI.