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

by dhw, Monday, October 31, 2016, 11:47 (2944 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: Our starting point was Wolfe’s attempt to single out human self-consciousness and human language as being inexplicable through evolution. I commented that all levels of consciousness are inexplicable through evolution, but human language is not. You told me I had “skipped the issue” because “the advanced language we have is a byproduct of consciousness, and so we would not have language if consciousness had not appeared.” I agree, but have simply pointed out that this applies to all forms of language, not just human.

DAVID: And what a difference there is. Animals make noises with small brief meaning, and use body language for the rest of their communications. We speak, read and write esoteric thoughts. No comparison. Different in kind.

Of course our language is different in kind. And infinitely more advanced. And it is a product of our advanced consciousness, just as chimp, chicken, dolphin and ant languages are different in kind and are products of their less advanced consciousnesses. We seem to be in agreement.