The language of tactile thought

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Mind
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The language-of-thought hypothesis (LoTH) proposes that thinking is a form of computation over mental representations.
• The applicability of LoTH to perceptual domains has been debated, with a focus primarily on visual perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the argument for LoTH's applicability to non-visual perceptual modalities.
• To critically examine and propose clarifications for the criteria supporting LoTH in perception.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the language-of-thought hypothesis.
• Extension of existing arguments from visual perception to other sensory modalities, specifically touch.
• Critical review of the six criteria used to evaluate LoTH.

Main Results:

• The arguments supporting LoTH in visual perception can be plausibly extended to tactile perception.
• The current formulation and application of the six criteria require further refinement and clarification for broader domain applicability.

Conclusions:

• LoTH's scope may extend beyond vision, encompassing other sensory experiences like touch.
• Clarifying the evaluative criteria is essential for robustly assessing LoTH across diverse cognitive and perceptual domains.