“So, yes, considered as an algorithm within a language, Merge is indeed an elementary process. But, imagined as some sort of mediation between prelinguistic operations of the brain and language-use, it would be a miraculous leap across an infinite qualitative abyss. It can help explain the extravagant fecundity and power and limitless expressive range of language, perhaps, but it definitely can't explain anything about the origin of language. [...] If Merge is the most basic linguistic operation, it's primordial only structurally, not genetically. It's the complexity of language that generates the simplicity of the operation, and not the reverse.”
Quote by David Bentley Hart
Work
All Things Are Full of Gods: The Mysteries of Mind and Life
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Author
David Bentley Hart
David Bentley Hart is an American writer renowned for his profound theological reflections and unique insights into religious philosophy. Born in 1965, he graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. in philosophy. Hart's work spans a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, literature, and art criticism. His writing style is distinctive, often captivating readers with his deep insights and elegant prose. more
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