LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT

How are language and thought related? In the case of Homo sapiens, the capacity for thought and a capacity for linguistic expression develop apace. The linguistic repertoire of children mirrors their conceptual development in a way that could scarcely be accidental. Attempts to impart linguistic sophistication to creatures — apes, dolphins, and the like — that would altogether lack it otherwise, have been inhibited by these creatures' cognitive limitations (see Premack 1986). It is tempting to suppose, on the basis of such reflections, that thought and language go hand in hand. At the same time, we may find ourselves pulled in the opposite direction. We routinely impute apparently sophisticated thoughts to infants, pets, and creatures in the wild by way of explaining their behaviour. Spot barks at the front door because he thinks Wayne is outside. When Wayne enters, Spot greets him enthusiastically, before returning to his place in front of the fire. Such explanations, and the predictions they license, seem not merely convenient but entirely appropriate. Perhaps, then, thought and language are manifestations of distinct, though in the case of human beings, developmentally linked talents.

Although it is easy to imagine thought occurring in the absence of linguistic expression, it is natural to suppose that a capacity to use language presupposes a certain level of conceptual finesse and intelligence.