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Quote by Noam Chomsky

“There isn't much doubt that like other animal societies, those of Homo sapiens involved plenty of cooperation, which might have been considerably enhanced, one would suppose, by the emergence of the remarkable instrument of language.”

Quote by Noam Chomsky

Author

Noam Chomsky, born on December 7, 1928, is a renowned linguist from the United States. His research in generative grammar and transformational grammar has had a profound impact on modern linguistics. Chomsky's academic achievements extend beyond linguistics, as he is also an active political commentator and philosopher, known for his unique perspective and profound insights. more

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“I haven't seen any claim that Piraha lacks recursion, that is, that there are a finite number of sentences or sentence frames. If that's so, it would mean that the speakers of this language aren't making use of a capacity that they surely have, a normal situation; plenty of people throughout history would drown if they fall into water.”

People Ifs Mean Use Fall Language Water Numbers Situation Havens Normal Capacity Claims Sentences Plenty Speakers Finite Recursion Finite Number

Author:Noam Chomsky

“No one seriously doubts that if Piraha children are brought up in Boston they'll be speaking Boston English, that is, that the capacities are present, unlike other animals, as far as is known. There's no challenge to the theory - not mine, but everyone's - that the human language faculty provides the means for generation of an infinite array of structured expressions.”

Ifs Humans Mean Children Language Challenges Animal Known Doubt Generations Mines Expression Theory Capacity Infinite Faculty Boston Human Language

Author:Noam Chomsky

“I have not suggested that the emergence of language is instantaneous. Rather, that the rewiring of the brain enabling an infinite array of structured expressions was in effect instantaneous. I have never heard of an alternative to this suggestion.”

Language Brain Heard Effects Expression Infinite Alternatives Suggestions Enabling Emergence Instantaneous

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Evolutionary theory has nothing to say, in general, as to whether cheating is more advantageous than cooperating. There are many circumstances in which the contrary would be true, and empirical evidence, though it exists, has little bearing on real situations.”

Littles Real Would Be Situation Theory Circumstances Evidence Contrary Being True Cheating Cooperating Empirical Evidence

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Selfish-gene theory tells us nothing about the value of interacting through language.”

Values Language Theory Selfish Genes Interacting Selfish Gene

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Human language is nothing like the signalling systems of other animals.”

Humans Language Animal Human Language

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Of course language arose in a Darwinian biological world, because that's all there is, but that world relates only superficially to the pop-biology that circulates informally.”

World Courses Language Pops Relate Biology

Author:Noam Chomsky

“I don't encourage socialists or anarchists to accept falsehoods, in particular, to see revolutionary potential where there is none.”

Accepting Particular Revolutionary Falsehood Anarchist

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Anton Pannekoek didn't encourage radical workers and other activists of the anti-Bolshevik left to see revolutionary potential in his work in astronomy, for the simple reason that he was honest, and knew there was none to speak of.”

Reason Left Speak Simple Honest Workers Astronomy Radical Revolutionary Activist Bolsheviks

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Those who wish to change the world should have the best possible understanding of the world, including what is revealed by the sciences, some of which they might be able to use for their purposes. That's why workers education, including science and mathematics, has commonly been a concern of left intellectuals.”

World Should Use Might Able Purpose Left Wish Understanding Concern Should Have Mathematics Workers Including Changing The World

Author:Noam Chomsky