Criticizing Linguistics/Shared Cognitions (3)

[A. Katz]

Dear Steve,

I think we are in agreement about most of the essential facts. Perhaps
our use of different labels is largely a matter of style.

I distinguish between cognition and its calcified remains, which I tend to
think of as language in the case of a communicative tool, and culture in
the case of shared belief systems.

I don't believe humans have collective cognition, although
that might theoretically be possible in a society of telepaths.

When I understand a message sent by another, I do not necessarily share
his cognition. I might totally disagree or disbelieve the message, but
the information it contains has been passed along. Thus again, I
distinguish between language and cognition.


Best,


       --Aya


================================================================
Dr. Aya Katz, Inverted-A, Inc, P.O. Box 267, Licking, MO
65542 USA
(417) 457-6652 (573) 247-0055
http://www.well.com/user/amnfn
=================================================================


On Fri, 5 Oct 2007 Salinas17 at aol.com wrote:

>
> In a message dated 10/5/07 12:25:32 AM, amnfn at well.com writes:
> <<In the case of a computer that passes messages between people, just as in
> the case of a book whose author is long dead, the issue is not that no
> cognition was involved in creating the message. The point is that the cognition that
> created the message is no longer operating at the time of delivery.>>
>
> I see.   You're connecting "cognition" to a particular person.   The
> difference is that I see "cognitions" as information.   They don't die or disappear.
> They are either communicated or not communicated.   What I'm thinking today
> may not be what I think tomorrow -- you don't need death for individual
> cognitions to change.   Whether I am alive or dead when you read this is irrelevant
> to the transfer of this particular piece of information.   I might change my
> mind right after I send this post, but that will not change what I was
> "congnitioning" (ha) when I sent it.   That information has already been transferred
> via our common language.
>
> <<If cognition and language were one and the same, none of these scenarios
> would work.>>
>
> Language is the transfer of "cognitions."   When a cognition is communicated,
> it becomes a "shared cognition."   The transfer of information does not
> depend upon whether the transferor died long ago or not, it depends on successful
> transfer by any media through which language can be used.
>
> Regards,
> Steve Long
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> **************************************
>  See what's new at http://www.aol.com
>
>