World Language and Unity

Language is meant to be a means of communication between human beings. Yet the presence of different languages across the world counteracts that very purpose—by impeding communication across linguistic groups. The need for a single language across the entire world is well-recognized, to overcome language barriers and enable every human to express themselves to everyone.

Differences in language serve as the basis for an identity, as people speaking various languages form social groups based on them. Language is yet another cleavage that separates and alienates groups from one another. It can be particularly binding to an identity for monolingual individuals, who would be able to communicate only within one identity group. Therefore it creates a strong divide between identity groups that are associated with particular languages, rendering them isolated from each other and strengthening their narratives of being different from each other.

Language barriers create an information gap between various language groups, since one can only access information in the languages one knows. Yet having a world language would make available all the information in the world to everyone. This is particularly important in areas like science, where knowledge should be shared with all of humanity, and politics, where having broader access to information makes better citizens and counteracts indoctrination.

A single language for the world will also be an equalizer for opportunities, in that no one will be placed at a disadvantage just because of knowing a different language. With different languages though, people are often restricted to options within the languages they speak. This would be a major step towards creating equality and ensuring that no one is systematically disadvantaged because of something that is arbitrary.

Importantly, a world language goes hand in hand with world unity. Languages are very strong separators of identity groups and are a means of exclusion, thereby helping to uphold the divided world order. A world language will therefore be a crucial factor in bringing about the social unification of all humans, filling in the rifts that divide the world and building mutual understanding. It will also facilitate mobility across the globe and make it easier for migrants to settle at a new place.

Yet this idea is commonly met with an objection that it will lead to the loss of other languages, and hence the loss of cultural heritage and identity. The introduction of a world language does not mean that all other languages will necessarily be done away with. Its purpose is to enable everyone in the world to communicate with everyone, rather than to homogenize the world. All the other languages in the world can continue to be used as before; the only requirement is that everyone also knows the world language. Knowing an additional language does not diminish one’s knowledge of another language, and therefore the linguistic diversity of humanity is not at risk.

That said, it is important to keep in mind that at a fundamental level, a language is just a means of communication between humans. It does not matter which language people use, so long as they are able to express themselves and understand each other. So in a purely utilitarian sense there is no point to linguistic diversity. But languages may have a body of literature and certain elements which cannot be adequately translated. They can be preserved to maintain this heritage, but this should not come at the cost of their original purpose, communication. And because linguistic differences impede communication between all humans, there should be one world language even as others may continue to be used.

There are two options for choosing a world language: to select an existing language for the world, or create a new one. An existing language seems to be the simpler, as it will already have an established speaker body and will be fully developed. One major issue, however, is that no language has enough speakers to be global. Even English, the language with the most total speakers, is only known by less than one-fourth of the world. Choosing a minority language risks alienating speakers of other languages, who would see it as an imposition, and also creating tussles about which language to choose. The second issue is that all existing languages are irregular with many complexities, and hence difficult to learn. A world language should be as clear and regular as possible, so that all people can learn and use it easily. Despite these issues, if humanity does accept an existing language to become the world language, it will be a massive leap forward in the progress of humanity.

To get around these two issues, a new artificial language could be created for the world. This is the more idealistic option, but also the more desirable one in the long term. The new world language should be simple, unambiguous, and regular, neutral with respect to other languages, and comprise sounds that most people can use. Several languages have already been constructed for this purpose, but they often run into the problems of neutrality and unnecessary complexity and ambiguity. Further efforts must be made to create a world language that is acceptable to all humans and also keeps complexity at a minimum.

Despite the obvious advantages of eliminating linguistic barriers, in this divided world it is a remote possibility. The national world order has its core principle as the separation of identity groups, and one cannot expect it to undermine its own premise by creating a single language to transcend all divisions. Furthermore, the disjoint subsets of humanity called nations have already been shown to be grossly incompetent when it comes to cooperation for the best interests of humanity, and a world language is no exception.

Yet the outcomes of having a world language—simplicity of communication, greater opportunities, and access to the knowledge of the whole world—are far more valuable than any imaginary sense of linguistic identity. With a World Government, leaving behind all the divisions of humanity, this great project can finally be undertaken, and every human will be able to connect with everyone, and enjoy the shared experiences of humanity.