01-20-2017, 05:40 PM
Certainly language is a major part of the 'shape' of human consciousness. Whatever sapience is, it seems to have emerged at the same time as complex language, and somewhat later than tool use. My favoured model is that 'self-awareness' emerged as an expansion of the hominid's mental ability to map the environment by reflecting that ability back upon itself, but when this ability is coupled with complex language, then the results of this internalisation can then be externalised and shared.
Does that mean that creatures without language can't be fully sophont? I doubt it - but they would a/ have a completely different 'shape of consciousness' to humans (the concept of toposophy is a very useful one- thanks, Mr. Lem) and b/ some sort of language-equivalent would need to be invented before such an isolated sophont could communicate with other entities.
Does that mean that creatures without language can't be fully sophont? I doubt it - but they would a/ have a completely different 'shape of consciousness' to humans (the concept of toposophy is a very useful one- thanks, Mr. Lem) and b/ some sort of language-equivalent would need to be invented before such an isolated sophont could communicate with other entities.