Tue, 11 Oct
|Online Lecture
Gary Lupyan (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Gary Lupyan is a Professor of Psychology at UW-Madison. At the core of his research program are questions like: What does language do for us? What would humans be like without language? Why are languages the way they are and what makes them change?
TIME & LOCATION
11 Oct 2022, 15:00 – 17:00 CEST
Online Lecture
ABOUT THE EVENT
TITLE: WHERE DO CONCEPTS COME FROM AND WHAT MIGHT LANGUAGE HAVE TO DO WITH IT?
Abstract. — If cognitive scientists can agree on anything, it is that radical nativism (of the Fodorian kind) has little empirical merit. So where do our concepts come from? If they are learned, what kinds of learning is needed? I will present evidence that many of our concepts — including some that may seem very basic — may derive from our experience with, and use of, language. This contradicts the still widespread view that words map onto pre-existing concepts and positions language as a key causal factor in conceptual change. I will also discuss the role that language may be playing in aligning people’s conceptual landscapes while at the same time concealing underlying diversity.
- Zoom meeting ID: 614 8076 0079
- Zoom passcode: CEN22