"Language, core defining property of what makes us human" - Noam Chomsky (discussion)

[JohnBoy2000]

I personally contend it's because language is how we rationalize the world around us, it's the primary means by which we think and thus function cognitively as humans.

Thus language itself = the base of cognition.

Our cognitive function and resultant ability to cultivate our environment = what distinguishes us amongst other earthly organisms.

Opinions?



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One possible point of view on this is, as organisms, as all organisms are - we're very sexually driven.

But to maintain civilization and good behavior, we must keep that sexual drive moderated so that it's healthy, functional and productive.

This requires sound cognitive intervention.

I believe the form this discipline takes = through words, self thought/rationalization etc. (as oppose to visualization, which other organisms can do but lack that discipline/refinement over sexual behaviour).

Perhaps this was the meaning of the title statement?

To make us "human", progressive, controlled, civilized, healthy and functional - language = the core defining means to do this.

??

i.e. our "self instruction"/discipline in demanding situations = mediated through language.

As visuals or instinct alone (as with other organisms) = insufficient to accomplish this.

 

[JohnBoy2000]

A point of view:

Evolutionarily, many organisms developed various ways to communicate though the root of the word language seems to the spoken word as it evokes the root lingua in reference to the tongue and gives us a general perception of vocal language though it does not only exist as spoken.

The majority of our usage of the tool called language remains unspoken and is our foundational way of experiencing the the outer and inner world within our own minds.

Homo sapiens have evolved to be very dependent on the tool as we are social beings. Language is a method of communication has become the foundation through which we view, understand and think about the world around in abstraction.

In many respects language has become analogous to function as a fundamental “operating system” by which our neocortex operates on, how we communicate with each other and also but how our ego, or inner self reasons with itself; weather we are using printed symbols, braille, sign language, or speech or verbal language.

Just as any computer program requires an underlying language to operate on so does human consciousness.

Every individual after birth learns to employ the shared symbolism. Language provides for us a connection to each and also with ourselves.

One important thing is not to confuse the words with actual reality as the language is merely a way of pointing at objects things and feelings.

Can you think I thought that does not involve language? Is language not constantly running inside of your own head silently as you navigate the environment around you?

Language has become Integral to the human experience and is arguably inseparable experience.

While we develop names for our feelings and emotions as well as objects in our environment to communicate and express our feelings and describe the universe around us. we do so in such a way as that that language largely occupies all of the thoughts that we have and creates our perception of the world around us.we learndescribe our environment and our selves. As Hominins evolved and developed larger neo cortex our ability to employ this new tool became more sophisticated.

In essence language is a way of pointing at things in our environment. Through the use of language we can communicate our wants needs and desires. Language is our way of differentiating one thing from another thing therefore arising out of hierarchical relationships.

As Homo sapiens evolved their language we became able to make larger abstractions about the environment we live in. As a social species, language has shaped mankind and is in many ways inseparable with how our brains construct the world around us as we interact and live in our environment.

During Homosapien evolution we created many tools, one of which is verbal language. that tool intern has created mankind…

 

[Antiprosynthesis]

I like philosophy of language, and I agree for the most part with what you say...

An interesting notion in philosophy of language is that of isomorphia, meaning form equality...

This is worked out by Wittgenstein in the Tractatus Logico Philosophicus in what is called picture theory...

He sais suppose you are playing pictionary, and you had to draw the proposition the cat does not sit on the carpet, how would you do this?

Many ppl draw a cat on a carpet with a big cross over IT, but this does not represent the proposition the cat does not sit on the carpet, but.simply.a cat on the carpet with a cross over IT...

OR you could.say i draw a carpet.and next.to.it a.cat,.but.again this.does.not represent the needed proposition but Simply is a drawing.of.a cat and a carpet...

The conclusion is that.it is impossible to represent this.proposition,.cause there is no isomorphia between the proposition and the drawing possible...

Another problem that i know about, is a problem with which, among others, Russell was concerned, concerning the statement the current king of france is bald, since france is a Republic, IT does.not.have a King that can be.bald, so the statement is false. However, in this case you would expect the negation of this statement to.be true, either its not.the.case that the current king of france is bold OR.the current king of.france is not bald,.however this.is.also false - which is a violation.of the law of excluded middle...

On a.more personal note,.language is very indirect, IT uses a lot of metaphores and such to describe reality and Also.there are lots of different ways to correctly describe something,.like a Sunset - if a poet, a mathematician and.a musicist would.describe the same Sunset IT would be very.different descriptions...

Also for language to work we need to use.the.same definitions,.which can be problematic...

Also interesting is speech acts by searle...

Language can also create a reality,.for example by.using something like neuro linguistic programming...

I also find etymology very interesting, like that the word interesting originally meant being.between OR amongst other ppl, IT Comes from the latin Inter meaning between and esse meaning being...