Rethinking the role of language in embodied cognition
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences December 26, 2022 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0375 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe author develops and defends a novel account of how language contributes to human concepts, grounded in the embodied nature of the language system itself. The account diverges from traditional views and is situated within a flexible, multimodal, and multilevel model of the conceptual system. The essay responds to growing evidence that the language system plays a role in semantic memory, including abstract concepts, and argues that language's cognitive role is best understood through its embodied basis.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Medicine Linguistics Philosophy |
| Key finding | Proposes that language enhances embodied cognition through its own embodied nature, offering a novel account of its role in concepts within a multimodal, multilevel conceptual system. |
Abstract
There has been a lot of recent interest in the way that language might enhance embodied cognition. This interest is driven in large part by a growing body of evidence implicating the language system in various aspects of semantic memory—including, but not limited to, its apparent contribution to abstract concepts. In this essay, I develop and defend a novel account of the cognitive role played by language in our concepts. This account relies on the embodied nature of the language system itself, diverges in significant ways from traditional accounts, and is part of a flexible, multimodal and multilevel view of our conceptual system. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences’.