Cognition by description

Authors

  • John Bolender Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/fsu.2016.172.07

Abstract

One important aspect of the faculty of language, as understood in generative grammar, is its capacity to form operator-variable structures. Such structures are crucial for definite descriptions, as understood in the broadly Russellian tradition. The paper proposes a research program for exploring the relation between the uniquely human ability for “knowledge” (more properly, cognition) by description and the capacity of the language faculty to produce operator- variable structures.

Keywords: Merge, Internal Merge, cognition by description, theory of descriptions, knowledge by description, humaniqueness, language evolution, the language faculty.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2016-07-02

How to Cite

BOLENDER, J. Cognition by description. Filosofia Unisinos / Unisinos Journal of Philosophy, São Leopoldo, v. 17, n. 2, p. 136–143, 2016. DOI: 10.4013/fsu.2016.172.07. Disponível em: https://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/filosofia/article/view/fsu.2016.172.07. Acesso em: 11 may. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2016): May/August

Section

Philosophy South

License

I grant the Filosofia Unisinos – Unisinos Journal of Philosophy the first publication of my article, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license 4.0 (which allows sharing of work, recognition of authorship and initial publication in this journal).

I confirm that my article is not being submitted to another publication and has not been published in its entirely on another journal. I take full responsibility for its originality and I will also claim responsibility for charges from claims by third parties concerning the authorship of the article.