I'm Tired of Chomsky (Part II)

Aristotle taught that all knowledge comes through the senses. Part I summarized Chomsky's theory of internal language and said that an alternate theory is possible. In this part I present that alternative. Alternate Theory: Community First, we can say there are several fundamental differences between humans and other primates, not just one. Humans can have parents from culture A but, when raised by members of culture B, they act like members of culture B. Chomsky often mentions this point, yet he never puzzles over what a strange fact this is. If you try to raise a wolf as a dog, you get a wolf. Birds who try to raise a cuckoo as, say, a robin, get a cuckoo. Yet families in Paris who raise babies born to natives of New Guinea get Frenchmen. This suggests that while most animals are born with a set of instincts to make them like their ancestors, humans are born with instincts to acquire the ways of their neighbors. Human communication is triangular and conversational while animal communication is a monologue. If a rhesus monkey sees a leopard, it lets out a distinct call. When other monkeys see the leopard, they join in making the same call. When birds sing a territorial song, other birds of the same species may avoid the area or sing the same territorial song. When fire flies signal their presence, potential mates approach. In none of these cases does anything like a discussion take place. The basic human arrangement of speakers and listeners discussing news about top...
Source: Babel's Dawn - Category: Medical Scientists Authors: Source Type: blogs