Evolution, function, nature / edited by Andrea C. Schalley and Drew Khlentzos.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Schalley, Andrea C., 1972-

Khlentzos, Drew.

Series:

Studies in language companion series ; v. 92.

Studies in language companion series ; 92

Mental states ; 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Psycholinguistics.

Linguistics.

Physical Description:

xi, 302 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : John Benjamins Pub. Co., c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Collecting the work of linguists, psychologists, neuroscientists, archaeologists, artificial intelligence researchers and philosophers this volume presents a richly varied picture of the nature and function of mental states. Starting from questions about the cognitive capacities of the early hominin homo floresiensis, the essays proceed to the role mental representations play in guiding the behaviour of simple organisms and robots, thence to the question of which features of its environment the human brain represents and the extent to which complex cognitive skills such as language acquisition and comprehension are impaired when the brain lacks certain important neural structures. Other papers explore topics ranging from nativism to the presumed constancy of categorization across signed and spoken languages, from the formal representation of metaphor, actions and vague language to philosophical questions about conceptual schemes and colours. Anyone interested in mental states will find much to reward them in this fine volume.

Contents:

Mental States. Volume 1: Evolution, function, nature

Editorial page

Title page

LCC data

Table of contents

Preface

List of contributors

1. Mental states

2. Lithic design space modelling and cognition in Homo floresiensis

1 Introduction

2 Lithic design space

3 Lithic design space and cognition

4 Lithic design space and the standard story of stone technology

5 The stone toolkit of Homo floresiensis

6 Cognition in Homo floresiensis

Acknowledgements

References

3. "As large as you need and as small as you can"

1 The pattern of brain size and body size changes among hominins

2 The selectionist explanation of brain size and body size evolution

3 The brain and body of Homo floresiensis

4 Cognitive implications of the selectionist model for Homo floresiensis

4. Homo on Flores

2 Some existing patterns of argument regarding hominin cranial morphology, behavioural complexity, and the dating of "human" cognitive and linguistic skills

3 The Flores hominins

4 Implications of the Flores hominins for the evolution of cognition and language

5 Conclusion

5. Evolving artificial minds and brains

2 Mental representations in explanations of intelligent behavior

3 Modeling the simplest forms of intelligence

4 What the representations are in the models

6. Multi-agent communication, planning, and collaboration based on perceptions, conceptions, and simulations

2 Cued and detached representations

3 Cognitive capabilities for agents

4 Cognitive capabilities for playing soccer robots

5 Discussion

7. The modal-logical interpretation of the causation of bodily actions

2 Conceptual structure and modal formulae.

3 Action as a set of rotations

4 Sample action

5 Conceptual structure for kick

6 Rotations and turns in kicking action

7 Microstructure of causation of action

8 Concluding remarks

8. Do we access object manipulabilitywhile we categorize?

2 Experiment 1

3 Experiment 2

4 General discussion

5 Conclusion and implication for cognitive science

9. Speaking without the cerebellum

1 Preliminary note

2 Introduction

3 Materials and method

4 Results

10. Ontologies as a cue for the metaphorical meaning of technical concepts

2 The problem of metaphorical meaning

3 Heuristic-Driven Theory Projection and ontological knowledge

4 The application of HDTP to technical concepts

5 Concluding remarks and further research

11. Anti-realist assumptions and challenges inphilosophy of mind

2 Challenge or refutation?

3 The K=T Conjecture

4 Application of K=T: The Knowledge Argument

12. Vagueness, supertranslatability,and conceptual schemes

2 Davidson's first argument against conceptual schemes

3 Davidson's second argument against conceptual schemes

4 An adaptation of Simmel's thought experiment

5 Are Simmelian and English intertranslatable?

6 Super-translatability introduced

7 Super-translatability enables a Simmelian truth-tester to test whether the English conceptual scheme is largely true

8 English and Simmelian, two languages with non-radically different conceptual schemes

9 Concluding remarks

13. Visual representation in a naturalcommunication system

2 Representation in speech-centred communication: Abstract symbols and depiction.

3 Representation in signed communication: Abstract symbols

4 Representation in signed communication: Depiction

5 Tracing the stimulus to visual-spatial categories: CPs and sister systems

6 Conclusion

14. Hidden units in child language

2 The semantic subset principle

3 Entailments of focus operators

4 Covert negation and conjunction in adult language

5 Covert negation and conjunction in child language

Name index

Subject index

Table of contents of volume 2

The Studies in Language Companion Series.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612151897

9781282151895

1282151894

9789027291219

9027291217

OCLC:

781628036