110123 - Notes on Pervasive Games, Origin of Syntax, Fear of Small Numbers, MdS

8/7/2019 110123 - Notes on Pervasive Games, Origin of Syntax, Fear of Small Numbers, MdS

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110123 Excerpts from Readings

I\] Pervasive Game Theory and Design

II\] Philosophy in the BedroomIII\] Fear of Small Numbers

IV\] Biological Foundations and Origin of Syntax Ed. Bickerton & Szathmary (2009)

I\] Pervasive Games

a\ The Beast

II\] Philosophy in the Bedroom

a\

b\

III\] Fear of Small Numbers (creation of We, collective Self)

a\ Ch 4.1. Freud

2. Marx

3. Durkheim4. __

IV\] Origin of Syntax


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IV\] Biological Foundation and Origin of Syntax

/ edited by Derek Bickerton & Eors Szathmary

Ernst Strngmann Forum 2008MIT Press 2009

a\ References1. Bickerton 1990

2. Pinker & Bloom 1990

3. Newmayer 19914. Smith & Szathmary 1995

5. Chomsky

1957,

1995. Minimalist Program2000;

6. Givon, T.

1989. Mind, Code, and Context2002.

7. Steels, L.

1996,2004. Fluid Construction Grammar

8. Deacon, T.

1997. The Symbolic Species.


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b\ Excerpts:

Tree Structure for the sentence Everyone who knows Mary says she likes Bill


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It is difficult to imagine the origin of language without capacities for teach-

ing (which differs from learning), imitation, and a complex theory of mind(Premack 2004). Apes are limited in all these capacities. It is fair to

assume that these traits have undergone significant evolution because they

were evolving together with language in the hominine lineage. To this oneshould addnot as a prerequisite, but as a significant human adaptation

the ability to cooperate in large non-kin groups (Maynard Smith and

Szathmry 1995). Together, these traits form an adaptive suite that isspecific to humans. We suggest that in any selective scenario, capacities

for teaching, imitation, some theory of mind, and complex cooperation

must have been rewarded, because an innate capacity for these traits

renders language evolution more likely (Szathmry and Szmad 2008b).


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Selective Scenarios for the Origin of Language

On the Human-specific Adaptive Suite

Various people (e.g., Premack 2004) have called attention to the fact that besides

language, efficient teaching (which differs from learning), imitation, and a developed

theory of mind are also uniquely human resources. We would add to this the trait ofhuman cooperation (Maynard Smith and Szathmry 1995), which is remarkable in that

humans are able to cooperate even in large non-kin groups. We propose that these traits

did not appear by accident together. They form an adaptive suite, and presumably they

have co-evolved in the last five million years in a synergistic fashion (Szathmry 2008;Szathmry and Szmad 2008b).

A relevant image is a coevolutionary wheel (Figure 2.3): evolution along any of

the radial spokes presumably benefited all the other capacities, even if the focus ofselection may have changed spokes several times.

1. Analogical Reasoning

2. Shared Intentionality3. Recursive Processing

4. Fine Motor Control

It is apparent that components of the human-specific adaptive suite can be

tentatively grouped into two categories: (a) indispensable procedural com-

ponents (handling hierarchies, analogical reasoning, imitation, shared at-tention and intentionality, and fine motor control) and (b) complex adaptive

faculties (docility, complex cooperation and theory of mind, language, and

tool making).


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Thus, two examples like the English sentence (46a) and its Japanese

counterpart (46b) differ dramatically in order and

structure, as illustrated by the two trees (47a, b):


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110123 - Notes on Pervasive Games, Origin of Syntax, Fear of Small Numbers, MdS