Keynote speakers: Alain Berthoz and Didier Bottineau
Simplexity: Implications for Language
Language scholars have for decades and centuries relied on an anthropogenic approach to language, for instance by taking a symbolic or a speaker’s perspective. In contrast, a biogenic view traces language to metabolism and its simplex properties. From an anthropogenic viewpoint, we focus on the complexity of language; from a biogenic one, we turn to its simplexity. Where do you stand?
The Interactivity Hypothesis
The Centre for Human Interactivity views language as a product of human biology and (extended) ecology – it arises from a sense-saturated history of doing things together. Pursuing this hypothesis, we link cognitive science with the humanities –language becomes a biogenic system in an anthropogenic world. At CHIAS II, two eminent guests will explore how biology informs language: Alain Berthoz and Didier Bottineau. In pursuing how linguistic symbols depend on metabolism, and indeed how metabolism exploits symbols, we aim to rethink the role of coordination, action/perception and information. Simplexity is biology’s answer to sustaining life in a changing universe. Once organisms evolved, nature developed a repertoire of simple tricks that reappear in cell, brains, behavior and – we suggest – in living language. These include: (a) Inhibition; (b) detouring; and (c) action-perception geared information.
What is Simplexity?
Simplexity is biology’s answer to sustaining life in a changing universe. Once organisms evolved, nature developed a repertoire of simple tricks that reappear in cell, brains, behavior and – we suggest – in living language. These include: (a) Inhibition; (b) detouring; and (c) action-perception geared information.
Format
Discussions at CHIAS II will target a paper by Alain Berthoz and Didier Bottineau. Their view of its simplex roots will open up discussion around a distributed perspective that traces language to, not verbal patterns, but human coordination, bodies and semiotic skills. By so doing, its main aim is to open up conversations. While these may involve many topics, we expect other speakers to address how, in its various