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Brain, language and the origin of human mental functions
H Maturana1, J Mpodozis, J Carlos Letelier
1Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
Biological Research
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Human mental phenomena are best understood as behavioral relational phenomena, emerging from the recursive operations within language. The brain participates by generating these language-based dynamics, rather than solely originating them.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Traditional views often localize mental phenomena within the brain.
- Understanding the neurophysiological basis of consciousness and cognition remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel framework for understanding human mental phenomena.
- To reframe mental phenomena as behavioral relational phenomena rooted in language.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of biological and neurophysiological processes.
- Examination of the role of language in constituting mental phenomena.
- Exploration of recursive operations within a behavioral domain.
Main Results:
- Mental phenomena are proposed to occur within the relational dynamics of living, specifically language.
- These phenomena arise from recursive operations in the behavioral domain of language.
- The brain's role is seen as participatory in generating these language-based dynamics, not as the sole origin.
Conclusions:
- Human mental phenomena are not exclusively brain-bound but emerge from language-based behavioral relations.
- A relational, language-centric perspective is crucial for understanding neurobiology and cognition.
- Future research should explore the recursive dynamics of language in mental processes.