Is human thought explanatorily prior to human language, is human language explanatorily prior to human thought, or is there no explanatorily priority between human thought and human language? Does the data we considered in this course on primate communication systems favor one of these views over the others? Why or why not?

Your paper may either be more empirically focused or more philosophically focused. However, your paper should do each of the following: (i) provide a statement of your thesis—that is, it should clearly articulate the position or argument you will be discussing; (ii) motivate the significance of your thesis—i.e. make clear what is at stake in the issue you discuss, and why it is of significance; (iii) clearly articulate, and develop in detail, the position or argument under discussion, being sure to distinguish the position or argument from related positions or arguments with which it might be confused; most importantly, (iv), CRITICALLY ENGAGE with the themes you discuss, taking a clear stand pro or con; finally, (v) consider a possible objection to your thesis, and provide a response to that objection.

 

Write 6 page(double- spaced) paper.

 

1.   John Locke endorsed a mentalist thesis according to which core features of human languages are explained in terms of features of human thought or human agents’ ability to form non-linguistic internal representations of the world. In contrast, Ludwig Wittgenstein endorsed an interpretationalist thesis according to which core features of human thought are explained by the ability of human agents to coordinate with others through the use of language. Which of these two views, if either, do you accept and why? Is human thought explanatorily prior to human language, is human language explanatorily prior to human thought, or is there no explanatorily priority between human thought and human language? Does the data we considered in this course on primate communication systems favor one of these views over the others? Why or why not?