The language–thought partnership: a bird's eye view

Two contentions concerning the connection between language & thought are explored: (1) the intentionality of both language & thought is defined separately & (2) public language is a necessary component for the establishment of human thought. After defining the notion of "proper func...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Language & communication 2001-04, Vol.21 (2), p.157-166
Main Author: Millikan, Ruth Garrett
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognition & reasoning
Concepts
Conventions
Evolutionary psychology
Language
Philosophy
Speech
Speech acts
Thought
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Two contentions concerning the connection between language & thought are explored: (1) the intentionality of both language & thought is defined separately & (2) public language is a necessary component for the establishment of human thought. After defining the notion of "proper function" as an object's survival value, it is maintained that intentionality is not connected to the proper functions of intentional states & their associated propositions. Similarities between the stabilizing function, defined as that which urges speakers to continue using a language device, of language forms & biological functions performed by bodies are discussed. The example of the dance performed by bees to indicate the presence of nectar is offered to illustrate the connection between the intentionality of biological functions & language. The need to comprehend the derived stabilizing functions of thought to understand the intentionality of thought is explained. In addition, the significance of language in establishing empirical concepts is considered; nevertheless, it is suggested that determining whether language originated prior to thought requires additional attention. 9 References. J. W. Parker
ISSN:0271-5309
1873-3395
DOI:10.1016/S0271-5309(00)00018-5