Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection
The perception component of the language faculty and the teleological notion that everything may have intentions and purpose could have developed from the primitive agency detection seen in most moving animals. Many new-born, totally naive animals show predator avoidance and behave as if everything...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Queen's University
2015-03-01
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| Series: | Ideas in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/IEE/article/view/5338 |
| _version_ | 1818789892672454656 |
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| author | Kjeld C. Engvild |
| author_facet | Kjeld C. Engvild |
| author_sort | Kjeld C. Engvild |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The perception component of the language faculty and the teleological notion that everything may have intentions and purpose could have developed from the primitive agency detection seen in most moving animals. Many new-born, totally naive animals show predator avoidance and behave as if everything around may be alive and dangerous and have malevolent intentions. Piaget demonstrated that young children believe that everything around is probably alive and has purpose and intentions. The perception component of the language faculty involves an intrinsic motivation to search for intentions and meanings of sound combinations (words and phrases), and a search for the meanings and intentions of systematic changes in words, that is a search for the grammar rules. Possible homologs to animal genes for predator avoidance or perception of calls could be compared in humans and chimpanzees. Evidence of positive selection or accelerated evolution of human homolog genes might indicate putative genes for language perception. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T14:46:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-693a3d7ddd584a4a9338bc3e355144d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1918-3178 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T14:46:47Z |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | Queen's University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ideas in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-693a3d7ddd584a4a9338bc3e355144d32022-12-21T21:04:17ZengQueen's UniversityIdeas in Ecology and Evolution1918-31782015-03-01815338Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detectionKjeld C. Engvild0Technical University of DenmarkThe perception component of the language faculty and the teleological notion that everything may have intentions and purpose could have developed from the primitive agency detection seen in most moving animals. Many new-born, totally naive animals show predator avoidance and behave as if everything around may be alive and dangerous and have malevolent intentions. Piaget demonstrated that young children believe that everything around is probably alive and has purpose and intentions. The perception component of the language faculty involves an intrinsic motivation to search for intentions and meanings of sound combinations (words and phrases), and a search for the meanings and intentions of systematic changes in words, that is a search for the grammar rules. Possible homologs to animal genes for predator avoidance or perception of calls could be compared in humans and chimpanzees. Evidence of positive selection or accelerated evolution of human homolog genes might indicate putative genes for language perception.https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/IEE/article/view/5338language facultylanguage perceptionteleologypredator avoidanceintrinsic motivationhyperactive agency detection |
| spellingShingle | Kjeld C. Engvild Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection Ideas in Ecology and Evolution language faculty language perception teleology predator avoidance intrinsic motivation hyperactive agency detection |
| title | Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection |
| title_full | Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection |
| title_fullStr | Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection |
| title_short | Possible evolution of teleological bias, language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection |
| title_sort | possible evolution of teleological bias language acquisition and search for meaning from primitive agency detection |
| topic | language faculty language perception teleology predator avoidance intrinsic motivation hyperactive agency detection |
| url | https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/IEE/article/view/5338 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kjeldcengvild possibleevolutionofteleologicalbiaslanguageacquisitionandsearchformeaningfromprimitiveagencydetection |