Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 12:55:59 -0500
From: "Salikoko S. Mufwene" s-mufwene[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UCHICAGO.EDU
Subject: Re: non-linguistic thinking
Didn't Jerry Katz publish a book titled LANGUAGE OF THOUGHT in the
mid-1970s? I think the point was that the language of thought need not be
like the surface form of any verbal language. Nor would I expect it to be
(all) verbal in the first place. We may also want to remember that verbal
language is an articulate system and not all thought is articulate either.
Here is another fact we should bear in mind: I do not know to what extent
we may expect infants to have verbal language (though they come equipped
with Universal Grammar, or a Bioprogram, whatever suits you) but they THINK
and solve problems in responding to various challenges! Those of you who
think in English or Chinese or whatever verbal language only, beware of
disadvantages you would have. For one think you would be too slow for many
things, even if you could use shortcuts/"routines".
Sali.
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Salikoko S. Mufwene s-mufwene[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uchicago.edu
University of Chicago 312-702-8531; FAX 312-702-9861
Department of Linguistics
1010 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
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