From: joedees@bellsouth.net
Date: Thu 31 Oct 2002 - 22:00:02 GMT
>
> On Thursday, October 31, 2002, at 03:07 , joedees@bellsouth.net wrote:
>
> > each thing must have its own name
>
> I still fail to see that as a consequence. What do names have to do
> with it?
>
Because language use is a behavior, and language is structured according to
type-token distinctions (all those furry clawed mewling things are tokens of
the 'kitten' type, for instance). You would render al behavior-instantiations as
unique, and that would have to include vocal performances of object names.
It is a different behavior to look at or speak of a different tree, so they cannot
collectively be cal;led trees any more; under your schema, they would each
have to have individual names. the same with clouds, grains of sand, etc.
>
> > rejecting the
> > type-token structure upon which language is based
>
> How do you know this is what language is based upon? Sez who? Where?
>
Language categorizes the objects and processes of the world according to
common descriptions. These descriptions are type-descriptions, and each is
apploed to many tokens of that type. You can ask Wittgenstein, Chomsky,
Fodor, Benveniste, Lakoff, and any number of differing (on other issues)
linguists and language philosophers; this is one they agree upon.
>
> I see language as a process of our developed brain. What is this
> type/token structure you're talking about? Is this observable?
>
Sure; every time you use language, you employ it. Every time you call a
token tree by the type-name 'tree' (and the same for other words), or call a
two-legged locomotion token 'walking', it is performed and eminently
observable by anyone present with ears and the same symbol system stored
in their cerebral cortex.
>
> - Wade
>
>
> ===============================================================
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===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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