Can there be thought without language?

Yes, but thought without language is not well categorized and logical. Try it sometime.

This is in no way an endoresment for either "categorization" or "logic", and I'm not trying to cast doubt on anyone's ability to think.

In an effort to understand how 'languageless' animals thought, I did an experiment where over the course of several hours I suppressed all internal 'speech'.

I discovered that many objects & sensations had emotions attached to them.

I concludeded that Emotions are what we share with animals,

while the plethora of ornate vocalizations we have for our many sensations, emotions & conceptualizations is a large part of what we define as being human,….

… Or to the point, what we define as 'human' thought.

So the answer would seemingly be that while 'Human' thought is profoundly enmeshed in the use of language, ornate vocalizations are clearly not required for thought.

One can imagine the face of a loved one without describing it.

One can feel fear without internally chanting "I am afraid".

Ah but this brings us to the question: "What is Language?"

When a dog wags its tail, is that language?

Of course it is. We all clearly understand the notion of body language.

See language is symbols representing reality.

The wagging tail on a dog tells you the dog is happy.

The twitching tail on a cat tells you an attack is imminent.

The symbol is arbitrary with meaning arising from consensus or experience.

Hence it is Language.

So where does this lead?

Well, ultimately all thought is symbolic.

Biological Thought is the neurochemical interpretation of sense data granted meaning only from a somewhat consistent reaction to given sensory stimulations.

In computer terms, there is no computing without a computer language.

You simply cannot make the CPU think, without a list of instructions.

That list must be in a Language the CPU understands.

And CPU is defined by the language it interprets.

And the rabbit hole goes deeper.

DNA is a language. Four letters. Three letters to a word. Each word is the 'symbol' for an amino acid. Amino acid chains make the proteins that compose the structure of life.

So while there may be some incredibly primitive exceptions….

…Language, in its primal sense, lies at the core of Life, Sentience, & hence Thought.

Richard Feynman once had a friend who told him to describe, in words, what a cam shaft on a car looked like. He couldn't do it, of course. That was when Feynman realized that there were thoughts without words.

Also---how could you ever learn how to speak if you couldn't think? The human understanding of language far exceeds what any kind of "monkey see----monkey do" kind of training could explain.

And---I can remember before I could talk, wanting to be able to talk. I had the idea of talking before I had any words...or, at least, more than a couple of words.

NOTE: For purposes of this question, I define language as something that a Berlitz school might teach.

Babies definitely think, and they have no language. Animals think, at least in my opinion, and they have no real "language", although they may bark at things. So a definite yes, there can be thought without language; we all experienced it once, but have forgotten what it is like.

(We can easily remember the tune of an instrumental song, without associating it with any words)

Yes as already said babbies and animals think with no real language. We are just used to thinking and most of the time if not always it is our voice in our language we hear. Deaf people also think but they can not hear what if they are born deaf they can still think.

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By their nature, dogs are pack animals with a well-defined social order. Through basic training, you need to consistently make sure your puppy understands that you are the leader, not him. So in teaching him the basic rules, you take on the role of pack leader.

To fit into the family circle, your dog must be taught to recognize his name and such commands as come, heel, lie down and sit.

Well, maybe. I mean we'll never really know. I think yes. Have you ever seen a newborn child? Their eyes filled with wonder and naiive? They are not thinking words, but colors, pictures, and awe at this new wrold. All without speaking a word.

If you think about it we really don't think in languages anyway. We think in 'ideas', ''images", and 'emotions'.

When you get hungry-- do the words "I'M HUNGRY' type themselves out in your mind. No, the 'idea' of hunger comes to you and you may 'picture' foods you have a desire for.

A wild child can be shown clearly to think, despite their deficit of language.

Yes.

Language forms and gives expression to thought.