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The Evolutionary Relevance of Abstraction and Representation

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Abstract

This paper investigates the roles that abstraction and representation have in activities associated with language. Activities such as associative learning and counting require both the abilities to abstract from and accurately represent the environment. These activities are successfully carried out among vocal learners aside from humans, thereby suggesting that nonhuman animals share something like our capacity for abstraction and representation. The identification of these capabilities in other species provides additional insights into the development of language.

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Notes

  1. Between 2002 and 2005, Pinker, Jackendoff, Chomsky, Fitch, and Hauser have provided insightful critiques of each other’s work along these lines. See Hauser et al. (2002), Pinker and Jackendoff (2005), Fitch et al. (2005), and Jackendoff and Pinker (2005).

  2. See Kitcher and Salmon (1989) for a discussion of scientific explanation. Levine (2009) discusses the significance of scientific analogies.

  3. See Pinker (1994).

  4. See Grice (1989).

  5. For detailed discussions on relevance theory see Sperber and Wilson (1995), Wilson and Sperber (2006).

  6. This account of intention is in line with Bratman (1999).

  7. For an early discussion on the cognitive abilities of dolphins as a result of their sociability see McBride and Hebb (1948). Matsuzsawa (2013) discusses the relationship between cognitive development and social behavior in chimpanzees.

  8. For present purposes, I am using ‘property’ in a metaphysically weak sense. Terms such as ‘trait’, ‘attribute’, and ‘characteristic’ are each suitable substitutes. For ease of discussion, I will use ‘property’.

  9. This is only one account of abstraction; van Fraassen (2008) treats abstraction as the removal of a property.

  10. Levy and Bechtel (2013) develop an account of abstraction to discover mechanisms without evoking abstracta.

  11. For a discussion of objects being structured wholes see Koslicki (2008).

  12. There is much debate surrounding the nature of structures themselves and their relationships to objects. For one critique see Psillos (2006).

  13. Another candidate for a formal description might be A(o) = [(Rop & ~ Rpo) & ◇(Soq & p ≠ q)], where ‘◇’ is the modal operator for ‘possibility’. But there is another candidate structural relationship if abstraction occurs, since abstraction ignores some properties. It is possible that once S and R are recognized, there are no other structural relationships existing insofar as the object is merely the union of S and R. This is an unlikely outcome, given comments below on the difficulties of providing a complete description.

  14. Much of what is said here is phrased in substance-based terms to highlight the distinctions between properties and objects. I believe that we can (and should) frame the relevant partitioning of objects and properties in terms of activities and processes. For a process-based mereology along these lines see Seibt (2003).

  15. Sound frequencies above 20,000 Hz are not typically heard by humans, while many nonhuman animals (e.g., dogs) are capable of detecting them. There are also nonhuman animals (e.g., bees) capable of detecting ultraviolet light that is beyond the “visible spectrum” of 390 to 700 nm.

  16. Different structural arrangements of the same properties can result in different characteristics.

  17. This is consistent with the ontic structure realist claim that all that exists is structure. See (Ladyman and Ross 2007).

  18. I do not restrict personhood to only humans, but it is at least obvious that if there is such a thing as personhood then humans are suitable candidates.

  19. One potentially surprising case arises from research on ants that indicates that they may learn new routes by running in tandem (Leadbeater et al. 2006).

  20. Alex, the African Grey, has been observed obtaining an understanding of some abstract concepts. See Pepperberg (2013).

  21. For a discussion of the relationships between pattern recognition and structures see Shapiro (1997) and Resnik (1982).

  22. We don’t directly observe beliefs, desires, or intentions. Most of our beliefs about others possessing a theory of mind are the result of a person reporting on those beliefs, desires, or intentions.

  23. See van Fraassen (2008) for a thorough discussion of the scientific use of representations.

  24. Although Hume ultimately rejects the idea that we have good reason for maintaining that the future will resemble the past, he illustrates how this presupposition serves as the basis for our beliefs in causes. See Hume (1999 and 2000).

  25. My aim here is not to adjudicate among the disparate positions, although much of what I say here is consistent with the view that animals at least appear to share in our abilities to mental time travel to some degree (Corballis 2013).

  26. Seed and Byrne (2010) also discuss the possibility of animal tool use and problem solving as indicators of the mental abilities shared by both human and nonhuman animals.

  27. Senghas (2003) further discusses the development and changes of Nicaraguan Sign Language.

  28. These cases do further suggest that language is not entirely shaped by intrinsic factors.

  29. There are reports suggesting that social interactions contribute to the complexity of language. See Goldstein et al. (2003) for a discussion of birdsong development in social communities.

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  1. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Andrew M. Winters

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Correspondence to Andrew M. Winters.

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Thanks to Otávio Bueno, Bret Hackett, Doug Jesseph, and Alex Levine for discussions about many of the issues examined in this paper. I am especially thankful to Mark Bickhard, Keegan Shepherd, Liz Swan, and Mary Whitlock for providing substantive comments on an earlier draft.

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Winters, A.M. The Evolutionary Relevance of Abstraction and Representation. Biosemiotics 7, 125–139 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12304-013-9197-1

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