Do we think in natural language? Or is language only for communication? Much recent work in philosophy and cognitive science assumes the latter. In contrast, Peter Carruthers argues that much of human conscious thinking is conducted in the medium of natural language sentences. However, this does not commit him to any sort of Whorfian linguistic relativism, and the view is developed within a framework that is broadly nativist and modularist. His study will be essential reading for all those interested in the nature and significance of natural language, whether they come from philosophy, psychology or linguistics.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"...an original and imaginative thesis that successfully challenges alternative, more dominant conceptions of the relation between thought and language and of the nature of consciousness. This book will provoke much thought in anyone who is interested in these issues." The Review of Metaphysics
"The argument is presented with convincing force and clarity, making this a work that all philosophers, cognitive scientists, and linguists working in the field must read." Choice
"...succeeds in articulating a fertile alternative program worthy of further development. The book is ambitious, well written...." Greg Jarrett, The Philosophical Review
"The argument is presented with convincing force and clarity, making this a work that all philosophers, cognitive scientists, and linguists working in the field must read." Choice
"...succeeds in articulating a fertile alternative program worthy of further development. The book is ambitious, well written...." Greg Jarrett, The Philosophical Review
Book Description
Do we think in natural language? Or is language only for communication? Much recent work in philosophy and cognitive science assumes the latter. In contrast, Peter Carruthers argues that much of human conscious thinking is conducted in the medium of natural language sentences. However, this does not commit him to any sort of Whorfian linguistic relativism, and the view is developed wit hin a framework that is broadly nativist and modularist. His study will be essential reading for all those interested in the nature and significance of natural language, whether they come from philosophy, psychology or linguistics.
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the gift of language,
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This review is from: Language, Thought and Consciousness: An Essay in Philosophical Psychology (Paperback)
The thesis contained in this book will not please all, but it will please some. It certainly pleased me. Peter Carruthers, in this book, defends the view that the languages in which we speak are more than a simple tool for communication. Language, he argues, creates consciousness in human beings. ie, take away language, and you take away much of what it means to be human. The book is fairly heavyweight in terms of its academic credibility, and contains much vivid discussion of some the ideas aruond in philosophical cognition around today (eg Fodor, Searle, Dennett). However, it is not a difficult read. If you are intestested in what makes us human, then this book is for you.
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Inside This Book
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In this first chapter I shall outline the nature of my project, discuss its potential significance for both philosophy and psychology, and set out my background assumptions. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
human conscious thinking, inner verbalisation, conscious propositional thoughts, other actual beliefs, imaged sentence, whose perceptual states, epistemic liaisons, introspective illusion, own occurrent thoughts, own perceptual states, memory store whose function, naturally necessary condition, entertained consciously, content holism, introspective datum, introspective argument, future scientific psychology, multiple drafts theory, occurrent thinkings, communicative conception, phenomenal feelings, reflexive thinking, involve natural language, recognitional concepts, cause tokenings Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Cartesian Theatre, Stalnaker Martians, Ruth Rendell, Barbara Vine, Turing Test, Chinese Room, Noam Chomsky, Robert Kirk New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In this first chapter I shall outline the nature of my project, discuss its potential significance for both philosophy and psychology, and set out my background assumptions. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
human conscious thinking, inner verbalisation, conscious propositional thoughts, other actual beliefs, imaged sentence, whose perceptual states, epistemic liaisons, introspective illusion, own occurrent thoughts, own perceptual states, memory store whose function, naturally necessary condition, entertained consciously, content holism, introspective datum, introspective argument, future scientific psychology, multiple drafts theory, occurrent thinkings, communicative conception, phenomenal feelings, reflexive thinking, involve natural language, recognitional concepts, cause tokenings Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Cartesian Theatre, Stalnaker Martians, Ruth Rendell, Barbara Vine, Turing Test, Chinese Room, Noam Chomsky, Robert Kirk New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 65
books:
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44
books
cite this book:
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- RC Series Bundle: Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (Routledge Classics) by Ludwig Wittgenstein on page 276, and Front Matter
- Working Memory (Oxford Psychology Series) by Alan Baddeley in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Philosophical Investigations (3rd Edition) by Ludwig Wittgenstein in Front Matter
- Animal Thought (Int'l Library of Psychology) by Stephen Walker in Front Matter
- Mental Content by Colin McGinn in Back Matter
See all 65 books this book cites
- The Ethics of Animal Experimentation: A Critical Analysis and Constructive Christian Proposal (American Academy of Religion Academy) by Donna Yarri in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Philosophy of Psychology by George Botterill in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Minds and Persons (Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements) by Anthony O'Hear on page 87, and page 187
- Propositionaler Gehalt und Diskursive Kontofuhrung: Eine Untersuchung zur Begrundung der Sprachabhangigkeit Intentionaler Zustande bei Brandom (Quellen Und Studien Zur Philosophie) (German Edition) by Sebastian Knell on page 8, and Back Matter
- An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind (Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy) by E. J. Lowe on page 290, and Back Matter
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