TY - JOUR

T1 - Biology, environment, and culture: From animal communication to human language and cognition

AU - Черниговская, Татьяна Владимировна

N1 - Chernigovskaya T. V. Biology, environment, and culture: From animal communication to human language and cognition. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies, 2020, vol. 36, issue 1, pp. 157–170.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Contradictions in interpreting data from different scientific domains exploring anthopogenesis and language evolution will remain unsolved without a convergent approach and mutually acceptable multidisciplinary language. The article addresses the question of specific features of mental functions and language in humans as compared to other species. The main hypotheses of human evolution and their language are discussed. Cognitive capacities of animals and their communication signals are addressed, as are the basic principles of brain functions and bio-evolutionary mechanisms that underlie the complexity of human behavior and language evolution. Human language is a species’ specific brain ability, promoting not only complex communication signals, but also mentality itself. Language has basic universal rules, possibly caused by brain networks per se. It is hierarchically organized within the levels of lexicon, grammar (morphology, syntax, semantics and phonology) and pragmatics. The functions and their brain mechanisms are currently discussed either within the localizationistic modular approach, or within holistic views. The main discussions are between scholars exploring universal inborn grammar, and those preferring connectionism based on neuronal net learning, frequency factors, etc. One of the features of language in contrast to other communication systems is its principal ambiguity on many linguistic levels, context being a crucial aspect.

AB - Contradictions in interpreting data from different scientific domains exploring anthopogenesis and language evolution will remain unsolved without a convergent approach and mutually acceptable multidisciplinary language. The article addresses the question of specific features of mental functions and language in humans as compared to other species. The main hypotheses of human evolution and their language are discussed. Cognitive capacities of animals and their communication signals are addressed, as are the basic principles of brain functions and bio-evolutionary mechanisms that underlie the complexity of human behavior and language evolution. Human language is a species’ specific brain ability, promoting not only complex communication signals, but also mentality itself. Language has basic universal rules, possibly caused by brain networks per se. It is hierarchically organized within the levels of lexicon, grammar (morphology, syntax, semantics and phonology) and pragmatics. The functions and their brain mechanisms are currently discussed either within the localizationistic modular approach, or within holistic views. The main discussions are between scholars exploring universal inborn grammar, and those preferring connectionism based on neuronal net learning, frequency factors, etc. One of the features of language in contrast to other communication systems is its principal ambiguity on many linguistic levels, context being a crucial aspect.

KW - эволюция языка и сознания

KW - системы коммуникации у животных

KW - происхождение и эволюция человека

KW - обработка информации в условиях неопределенности

KW - evolutionof language and mind

KW - communication systems in animals

KW - human origin and evolution

KW - information processing under ambiguity

UR - http://10.21638/spbu17.2020.113

UR - https://philosophyjournal.spbu.ru/article/view/7549/5594

UR - https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=42906886

M3 - Article

VL - 36

SP - 157

EP - 170

JO - Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Философия и конфликтология

JF - Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Философия и конфликтология

SN - 2542-2278

IS - 1

ER -