How children pick up a language: new review of Wolfe (Humans)

by dhw, Sunday, October 23, 2016, 08:32 (2952 days ago) @ David Turell

QUOTE: Evolutionary theory is no closer than it was in Darwin’s day to explaining in materialist terms how traits like self-consciousness and language came to be.

It is not just self-consciousness but consciousness itself that is unexplained. Self-consciousness is an extension of consciousness, and I do not put human language in the same category of inexplicability. Once you have enhanced consciousness, it seems to me inevitable that you should need enhanced modes of expression, since all organisms need to communicate what matters to them. We have already discussed the physical adaptations necessary for human speech, but that relates to the mystery of how ALL adaptations and especially innovations take place. The process whereby cell structures change in order to fulfil needs is not unique to humans, as illustrated by the giraffe’s neck (thank you for that post as well)and a zillion other adaptations, innovations and natural wonders.