Animal brains and the work of words: Daniel Dennett on natural language and the human mind

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Miguens, Sofia (Author) FLUP

Journal

Title: Topoi: an International Review of Philosophy

Vol. 41 No. 3

Pages: 599-607

ISSN: 0167-7411

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

Scopus

EBSCO

Humanities International Complete (EBSCO)

Humanities Source Ultimate (EBSCO)

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Worldcat OCLC

ProQuest

Current Contents

ERIH Plus

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Humanities > Philosophy

Other information

DOI: 10.1007/s11245-021-09745-2

Abstract (EN): In this article I discuss Daniel Dennett’s view of the role of natural language in the evolution of the human mind. In contrast with defenders of the Language of Thought Hypothesis, Dennett claims that natural language is an evolved tool for communication, originating in behavioural habits of which users were initially not aware. Once in place, such habits changed access to information in human brains and were crucial for the evolution of human consciousness. I assess Dennett’s approach from the viewpoint of philosophy of mind and language and consider its ontological implications. I contrast Dennett’s views with the universalist and internalist claims of Jerry Fodor and Noam Chomsky and show how, by appealing to memes and cultural evolution, Dennett resists such claims. I then analyse how this picture goes together with a deflationary view of consciousness. I end by pointing out that although Dennett’s global picture seems to point towards a pluralistic ontology, he himself refrains from taking such a step.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

Notes: Published: 15 April 2021