Overview

"A machine for language? Certainly, say the neurophysiologists, busy studying the language specializations of the human brain and trying to identify their evolutionary antecedents. Linguists such as Noam Chomsky talk about machinelike ""modules"" in the brain for syntax, arguing that language is more an instinct (a complex behavior triggered by simple environmental stimuli) than an acquired skill like riding a bicycle. William Calvin and Derek Bickerton suggest that other evolutionary developments, not directly related to language, allowed language to evolve in a way that eventually promoted a Chomskian syntax. They compare these intermediate behaviors to the curb-cuts originally intended for wheelchair users. Their usefulness was soon discovered by users of strollers, shopping carts, rollerblades, and so on. The authors argue that reciprocal altruism and ballistic movement planning were ""curb-cuts"" that indirectly promoted the formation of structured language. Lingua ex Machina presents an engaging challenge to those who view the human capacity for language as a war between Chomsky and Darwin."

Full Product Details

Author:   William H. Calvin ,  Derek Bickerton
Publisher:   MIT Press Ltd
Imprint:   Bradford Books
Edition:   New edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.90cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.508kg
ISBN:  

9780262531986

ISBN 10:   0262531984
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   24 August 2001
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Stock Indefinitely
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

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Reviews

This book is witty, opinionated and deeply clever, a wonderful introduction to one of the most controversial issues in the study of mind. -- The New York Times Book Review Lingua ex Machina is the result of a fascinating and unlikely collaboration between two highly original thinkers--a linguist and a theoretical neurophysiologist--who have spent their careers considering the evolution of the human mind from these very different perspectives. The result is something halfway between a synthesis and a dialogue, that leads the reader on a challenging ride through some of the most interesting and controversial topics in the science of mind. --Terrence W. Deacon, Boston University

This book is witty, opinionated and deeply clever, a wonderfulintroduction to one of the most controversial issues in the study ofmind. The New York Times Book Review (April 16, 2000) Lingua ex Machina is the result of a fascinating and unlikely collaborationbetween two highly original thinkers--a linguist and a theoreticalneurophysiologist--who have spent their careers considering the evolution ofthe human mind from these very different perspectives. The result issomething halfway between a synthesis and a dialogue, that leads the readeron a challenging ride through some of the most interesting and controversialtopics in the science of mind. Terrence W. Deacon, Boston University Lingua ex Machina is the result of a fascinating and unlikely collaboration between two highly original thinkers--a linguist and a theoretical neurophysiologist--who have spent their careers considering the evolution of the human mind from these very different perspectives. The result issomething halfway between a synthesis and a dialogue, that leads the readeron a challenging ride through some of the most interesting and controversialtopics in the science of mind. Terrence W. Deacon , Boston University This book is witty, opinionated and deeply clever, a wonderful introduction to one of the most controversial issues in the study of mind. The New York Times Book Review

Author Information

William H. Calvin is Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle. His books include The Cerebral Code (MIT Press, 1996). Derek Bickerton is Professor of Linguistics, Emeritus, at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu. He is the author of Roots of Language, Language and Species, and Language and Human Behavior.

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