More Denton: A new book; language (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, March 18, 2016, 17:52 (3172 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: You seem to think that before homo sapiens came along, our ancestors could not communicate!-Of course not! McCrone is quite explicit in his description of H. Habilis possible few words a minute.-> 
> dhw: Hold on, hold on! Syntax and grammar are not invariant at all. Each language does have its own “arrangements”, even if there are similarities between some of them - often through common roots. (If you can tell me what grammatical structures Chomsky's so-called "Universal Grammar" consists of, you know more about language than I do.)-You are the translator of several languages. I can only repeat what the experts propose. Universal basic structure built into infants.-> dhw: Personally, I would suspect that when humans first began to “speak”, there was no syntax and no grammar. Language evolves, and there is no equilibrium to be punctuated. -Why did disparate groups all invent the same basis of language? You have no answer.-> dhw: Each neologism is a “saltation”. Yes of course there is direction: we humans direct the evolution of our languages. As for exact coordination of anatomic and neural development........the cell communities themselves - including those of the brain - would have done the directing. -As you propose only if God might have helped them. Think! Anatomic bone cells cooperating with equal advancements with brain neuron cells so it all works. Yes, God helped them. Can primitive bone cell communities plan and cooperate with neuron cell communities by themselves? How do brain cells talk to bone cells?
 
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> dhw: The confusion is entirely yours. You wrote that “degree =s itty-bitty; kind =s giant saltational leap. Adler's whole book point”. Clearly gradualism versus saltation was NOT Adler's whole point. -That is exactly the way I have interpreted the whole book! The appearance of our brain is exactly Adler's point. There is no other explanation for our brain except god's intervention. Adler was religious and ended up as a devout Catholic, although born Jewish.-> dhw:In the context of all our discussions, degree = the level or amount of something; kind = the nature of something. If you disagree, please give me your definition of each term. -For Adler 'kind' is a giant saltation. The title "The Difference of Man and the Difference it Makes" gives the import. -> 
> dhw: I am telling you they DO cooperate. You tell me they cooperate because of your God's 3.8-billion-year computer programme for every single act of cooperation throughout the history of evolution. I am suggesting to you that they cooperate because they are intelligent enough to do so, and it may be that your God gave them their intelligence.-We are very close together. Your God 'hedge' works to put you close to me.