Teleology & evolution: Vocal cord development (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, December 22, 2016, 13:03 (2688 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: I think in words. How do you think? My dog goes to the kitchen for water because he knows it is there, no thought involved but the recognition of thirst.

dhw: An excellent example of how the process works, except that you have conveniently overlooked the fact that it illustrates how the thought would have preceded the INVENTION of the words. Our subject is the origin of language, not how words are used once they have been invented. Humans also recognized thirst, and invented a word to express it. Do you honestly believe that they would not have felt thirsty if they hadn’t had a word for it? Thirst first, then the word. But once the word has been invented, we use it in our thoughts.

DAVID: You are generally correct. Our brains developed language when the brain we ere given had the proper neurological setup to handle it. Brain first, functions second.

We are now in agreement. To take your example: neither we nor our fellow animals would have been aware of our thirst if we hadn’t had a brain. Brain first. Awareness of objects/processes/dangers etc. etc. next. So far, it’s the same pattern for us and our fellow animals. But they have only a limited number of sounds to communicate with. We humans, with our enhanced awareness, need a far greater range of sounds. Awareness first, human language next, i.e. the invention of words. Once we have the words, they become part of our thinking, and the same process of invention goes on even now with each new thought/object/process etc. that requires a new word.