The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature

In The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature, Steven Pinker examines samples of everyday speech to validate modern theories of cognitive science. Pinker is currently a professor and experimental psychologist at Harvard University. He earned his doctorate at Harvard in 1979, then moved to MIT for a postdoctoral fellowship and has been back and forth between the two since then. He’s best known for his work on language and the mind; his early research focused on visual cognition, while his more recent work focused more on child language acquisition (with a particular emphasis on verbs). The Stuff of Thought makes excellent use of verbal acquisition data to provide insight to cognitive function. While a basic knowledge in semantic formalism would be helpful for getting more out of the book, I feel that it is a well-balanced composition of popular culture and linguistic theory. Colorful metaphors bring to light linguistic principles essential for Pinker’s arguments on human nature. Pinker writes that through language, many complex ideas and attitudes are communicated in varying detail. These concepts shine through language, but they stem from a deeper, and at the most basic level, innate, system. Conceptual semantics, the language of thought, is important to understand because it provides evidence that our utterances are not inane, but that they have meaningful, interpretable content. He presents the question: how do children acquire language in the first place? It’s clear that they are not memorizing the information based on their affinity to regularize (ie runned is a regularized version of the irregular past tense) – which is something that is not found in the input (adult speech). They are analyzing the input to make generalizations using innate building blocks. There is much discussion on what exactly these building blocks are and their functions, all in an effort of fortifying the concept of the human mind. The machinery innate to our minds, that is, what we are born capable of, is a topic worthy of much philosophical discussion because the answer is still unknown. Pinker takes time to introduce Fodor’s Extreme Nativism (words are the smallest building blocks, and therefore the meaning is the word itself) and Radical Pragmatics (there is very little innate knowledge – all meanings are devised from the context in which the words are uttered). He argues in favor of conceptual semantics, which suggests spatial and eventive qualities of words are innate, while qualities specific to the words are learned. He uses metaphor and the attributes of various words with similar meanings that belong in different syntaxes to support his claim. His ultimate statement on the mind is that it’s clear, through linguistic evidence, that our mind is shaped by the world, and the world by our mind. That is, our perception of reality is a product of the way we think, which is derived from the world around us. Pinker’s style is informative and memorable. His makes great use of everyday language, like advertisements and common phrases, to communicate sophisticated linguistic theories, as when he describes the verb classes when discussing the difficulties of the acquisition of verbs. The frequent appearance of metaphors based on media and pop culture keeps the reader engaged by eliminating technical terminology and making the research accessible to a much wider audience. He initially draws on the events of 9/11 to explain the slight differentiations semantics makes, a topic well understood by the majority of Americans. I appreciate that he lets his personal style show through and really gives the reader a sense of being included in the observations and linguistic inductions that he makes. While I would not consider his analysis neuroscience based, it finds a home in cognitive science, which is valuable for understanding neuroscience on the level of higher cognitive function. The Stuff of Thought provides an excellent introduction to the relationship between cognitive science and language, all while engaging the reader in a light-weight, cultured script. I give The Stuff of Thought five stars for its integrity to the field and appealing writing style. Anyone with an interest in cognitive science and a passion for linguistics and languages would be no less than thrilled with this book.

"The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature", Steven Pinker, Viking, New York, 2007. ISBN 978-0-670-06327-7, HC 440/500. Notes 17 pgs., Ref. 22 pgs., Index 15 pgs., 9 ¼" x 6 1/4". Inveiglements: a rare cartoonAn academic Professor of Psychology at Harvard Univ., with 6 major published works on language and the mind, this book, "The Stuff of Thought" (TSOT) is truly brilliant, stimulating and learned, - a book of 9 Chapters covers the A to Z of language is no easy read, indeed, it is an especially pleasurable reading experience and an exhilarating journey that one wishes had not ended! His prose, insightful arguments, analyses, and delightful expositions reveals to us facets of the human language we'd never considered and, - all so nicely catalogued, much as in the fashion of Carolus Linnaeus in naming seashells or diverse flora or faunaThis is one of those "must read" books best enjoyed like a splendid after-dinner wine, though some readers might object to excessive dissonance while `studying' Chapter 7: "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television", but equally perceptive, subtle and informative are some rules and regulations outlined in the chapter "Games People Play". Incredulous as it may sound, this treatise starts out as a query into how children learn to communicate and speak meaningful phrases. After reading TSOT, one might conclude it is not possible to learn all these language nuances. However, so much of it is subconsciously assimilated that we really know and learn a lot we never knowingly studied; yet, we are amazed at the paucity of our faux pas; but that is what friends are for.

There were things I liked about "The Stuff of Thought" and things I didn't. I would have preferred the book to be shorter. I certainly could take away many profound observations. However, I don't think Pinker had to go into so many examples, although I am sure many readers will like that. Anyway, here are some important things which I will remember from the book.1. We can learn a lot about people from the way they put together words. Pinker shows many examples.2. What is an event? 9-11 was an event, however there were also many events which went into effecting it.3. Words take on new meanings to reflect on how the world works.4. Learning a language is really a remarkable process. Pinker discredits linguistic determination, that is the brain learning language to generate thinking. He asserts that thoughts effect language. Meanings are stored, not the exact combination of words which reflect them. Personally, I think both can work in parallel, when learning a language, but Pinker makes a good argument.5. Metaphors are very important. They are an essential part of thought. "To think is to grasp a metaphor". He shows the use of metaphor in Leviticus, which makes one think even more that biblical scripture, at least the Torah, should not necessarily be taken literally, more like a living document which encourages deeper thinking especially as times change.6. The chapter on profanity is certainly interesting. The amygdala, in the brain, is important in storing memories with emotion. Bilingual people react more to taboo words in their first language, rather than their second. Aphasia, loss of articulate language, victims retain the ability to swear. This shows more memories of thought formulas rather than rule combinations. Such swearing in Tourettes's Syndrome is called copolalia.7. The basal ganglia in the brain, when weakened, taboo thoughts are more easily released. There is a "Rage Circuit" which runs from the amygdala to the hypothalmus - limbic circuitry.8. Implicative language, like with sarcasm and politeness, versus direct. Hierarchical and "culture of honor" societies use politeness more.9. Pinker brings up UN Resolution 242, about the Israeli - Palestinian situation, showing how the wording was intentionally made ambiguous, so each side could more likely agree to it. Best to get some agreement, so at least there is somewhere from which to proceed in negotiations. There again, words reflect thoughts, to often encourage further thinking.So, the book is certainly worthwhile, despite its perhaps unnecessary length.

Ich habe schon mehrere Bücher von diesem Autor gelesen und bin immer wieder begeistert. Keiner kann so fundiert und gleichzeitig unterhaltsam über Sprache schreiben wie er. Super strukturiert, sehr klar in den Aussagen, locker im Ton, aber nie geschwätzig. Dem Zusammenhang zwischen unserem Sprechen und Denken sowie der Welt um uns herum geht Pinker aus verschiedenen Richtungen auf den Grund. Allein die genialen Beispiele, mit dene er seine Ausführungen greifbar macht, sind richtige Augenöffner - Sachen, die man vielleicht schon gehört hatte, aber jetzt erst durchschaut und einordnen kann. Klasse, der Mann.

what a writer!

The book came without printing mistakes and exactly as advertised.

As a layman, I started following this white rabbit due to two unrelated and disturbing hints I got long ago:Ortega y Gasset stating German language grammar was the main reason for the succes of Philosophy -considering other languages not so prone to success in that area-My maths teacher feeling the 'not so logical' Spanish language as an explanation for so many people failing her tests. No endendí nada (literally: I did not understand nothing) is a wrong logical structure -two negations equals one affirmation- Mr. Spock thinking the boy grabbed the topic, at least partially, but the guy meaning he got no hint of it.Self-contained, positive and illustrative, I really enjoyed The stuff of Thought. Hope you do so!

My father has been raving about this well-written book on what thinking actually is about. Pinker of course is an outstanding writer.