The Nature of Language: Evolution, Paradigms and Circuits - Hardcover

Hillert, Dieter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1493906089 ISBN 13: 9781493906086

Publisher: Springer, 2014

Synopsis

The Nature of Language addresses one of the most fundamental questions of mankind: how did language evolve, and what are the neurobiological and cognitive foundations  of language processing? These questions are explored from different perspectives to discuss the building blocks of language evolution and how they developed in the way they can be found in modern humans. Primarily, neural mapping methods of cognition presented in this research provide extremely valuable data about the neural circuitries that are involved in language processing. Thus, the book explores and illustrates cortical mapping in typical language patterns, but also cortical mapping in atypical populations that fail to process particular language aspects. A neurobiological stance is used to inquire about how language abilities of our species evolved to communicate for the purposes of conveying information such as ideas, emotions, goals, and humor.The evolutionary language model presented builds on the cognitive abilities of our ancestors, and it allows readers to draw a variety of expansive conclusions from that, including the idea that human language as an interface system provides the basis for consciousness.

About this title

About the Author

Dieter Hillert, born in Germany, is a cognitive scientist and best known for studying language through cognitive, neurobiological and comparative approaches.  He holds positions as an Adjunct Professor and Research Scientist, and is affiliated with San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego, and University of Utah.  He also works as a science writer on topics related to mind and brain.

 

From the Back Cover

The book The Nature of Language addresses one of the most fundamental questions of mankind: how did language evolve, and what are the neurobiological and cognitive foundations of language processing? This monograph explores these questions from different perspectives to discuss the building blocks of language evolution and how they developed in the way they can be found in modern humans. Furthermore, primarily neural mapping methods of cognition presented in this research provide extremely valuable data about the neural circuitries that are involved in language processing. Thus, the book explores and illustrates cortical mapping in typical language patterns, but also cortical mapping in atypical populations that fail to process particular language aspects. In sum, an evolutionary stance is used to explore how language abilities of the Homo sapiens evolved to communicate for the purposes of conveying information, ideas, emotions, goals, humor, etc. This book presents an evolutionary language model that builds on the cognitive abilities of our evolutionary ancestors, and it allows readers to draw a variety of expansive conclusions from that, including the idea that human language as an interface system provides the basis for consciousness.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1493906089
• ISBN 13: 9781493906086
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 216