Overview

The cognitive potency of the human mind can be fully appreciated only if it is conceived of as a linguistic mind. This is the starting point of Nikola Kompa’s investigation into the relationship between language and cognition. Underpinned by philosophical ideas from Plato to Ockham, and from Locke to Vygotsky, Kompa uses theories within the philosophy of language, mind, and cognitive science and draws on neuro-psychology and psycholinguistic studies to explore core ideas about language and cognition. How did language transform our ancestors into creatures of considerable cognitive and social accomplishment? How does language augment cognition? Is language only a means of communicating our ideas or is a means of thinking itself? Her study has repercussions for a broad range of questions, from how humans differ from other animals and what a cognitive architecture looks like if it approximates the achievements of the human mind, to questions of education and cross-cultural communication. Theorizing and forming hypotheses about how language and cognition might have coevolved, how the availability of (symbolic) labels enhance various cognitive functions, what the cognitive function of inner speech might be and how inner speech and thought relate to each other, Kompa addresses the perennial philosophical question of what the benefits of having a language might be, and brings into sharper relief the intimate connection between linguistic and other cognitive functions. Informed by recent discussions on language evolution, labels, and inner speech, this timely contribution helps us understand more about how language changes the way we think.

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9781350382350

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Reviews

""Navigating a vast terrain of psychological and philosophical research in clear and lively prose, Language, Cognition, and the Way We Think reveals the many ways-both subtle and profound-that our spoken languages may influence our thoughts. Kompa's book is especially significant for its innovative and well-informed discussion of inner speech, making it one of the richest treatments of that phenomenon now available."" --Peter Langland-Hassan, Professor of Philosophy, University of Cincinnati, USA ""Kompa masterfully combines philosophy and contemporary cognitive science to produce a highly readable, original, and comprehensive account of how language augments human cognition."" --Gary Lupyan, Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA ""Language, Cognition, and the Way We Think is an exceptionally well-researched and admirably clear discussion of the relationship between language and cognition. Nikola Kompa expertly weaves historical and empirical exposition into arguments for her own provocative view that (at times) we think in a language by inwardly speaking."" --Wade Munroe, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Philosophy and Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Michigan, USA ""In this well informed and carefully argued book, Nikola Kompa makes a powerful case for the view that human linguistic and cognitive capacities co-evolved and that language scaffolds and extends our cognitive skills. The book should be essential reading for anyone interested in the cognitive functions of language and inner speech."" --Keith Frankish, Honorary Professor of Philosophy, University of Sheffield, UK

Navigating a vast terrain of psychological and philosophical research in clear and lively prose, Language, Cognition, and the Way We Think reveals the many ways—both subtle and profound—that our spoken languages may influence our thoughts. Kompa’s book is especially significant for its innovative and well-informed discussion of inner speech, making it one of the richest treatments of that phenomenon now available. * Peter Langland-Hassan, Professor of Philosophy, University of Cincinnati, USA * Kompa masterfully combines philosophy and contemporary cognitive science to produce a highly readable, original, and comprehensive account of how language augments human cognition. * Gary Lupyan, Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA * Language, Cognition, and the Way We Think is an exceptionally well-researched and admirably clear discussion of the relationship between language and cognition. Nikola Kompa expertly weaves historical and empirical exposition into arguments for her own provocative view that (at times) we think in a language by inwardly speaking. * Wade Munroe, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Philosophy and Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Michigan, USA * In this well informed and carefully argued book, Nikola Kompa makes a powerful case for the view that human linguistic and cognitive capacities co-evolved and that language scaffolds and extends our cognitive skills. The book should be essential reading for anyone interested in the cognitive functions of language and inner speech. * Keith Frankish, Honorary Professor of Philosophy, University of Sheffield, UK *

Author Information

Nikola A. Kompa is Professor in the Institute of Philosophy at Osnabrück University, Germany.

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