Language and Consciousness; How Language Implies Self-awareness

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2006

This article recalls Cajal's brief mention of consciousness in the Textura as a function of the human brain quite distinct from reflex action, and discusses the view that human consciousness may share aspects of "animal awareness" with other species, but has its unique form because humans possess language. Three ingredients of a theory of the evolution of human consciousness are offered: the view that a précis of intended activity is necessarily formed in the brain of a human that communicates in a human way; the notion that such a précis constitutes consciousness; and a new theory of the evolution of human language based on the mirror system of monkeys and the role of communication by means of hand gestures as a stepping-stone to speech.

Work on the theory of language has tended to go in three directions: Ref-erentialism, representationalism and social theories of mind and language-including symbolic interactionism and social functionalism. We give a critical review of the conceptual foundations and limitations of each. We show that none are adequate as a complete formal theory that integrates language, mind and society. The work presents the critical, conceptual and foundational motivation for a full theory of communication and cooperation for social agents.

Journal of Consciousness Studies, 2008

Gênero & Direito

Each culture is based on a specific system of subject meanings, social stereotypes and cognition patterns. The “worldview” invariant is determined by socially developed supports (by meanings, in the first place). In its turn, there may be a worldview which is common for the whole society (for a socio-cultural community or ethnos) or an individual one typical of a specific group (a socio-cultural group) within a given ethnos. In the process of ontogenesis, a child learns words in its native language, while lying behind these words is an integral image of consciousness comprising two layers. The first layer is the existential one. It includes the bio-dynamic tissue of live movement and action, as well as a sensory image. The second layer is the reflexive one, which includes meaning and sense. Behind a language sign, there is an organic cell, which is part of a worldview typical of a specific culture. The systemic character of meanings reflects the system of concepts existing in a give...

Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 2007

In this book, the editor Jonathan J. Webster presents the first of seven volumes of The Collected Works of Ruqaiya Hasan. In this first collection of papers the focus is on understanding the links between Language, Society and Human consciousness. The book is divided into three sections, each introduced by the editor. What transpires across the three sections is Hasan's making of a transdisciplinary theory, driven by her search of points of contact as well as discrepancies between the works of Bernstein on semiotic sociology, of Vygostky on sociogenetic psychology, and of Halliday on sociological linguistics. The result is an accomplished tour de force which provides an introduction as well as a profound insight/critical analysis of the works of these three scholars, enriching for both the novice researcher as well as the erudite on the topics covered. Section one of the book, introduced by the editor as The Sociosemiotic Mediation of Mind, is a series of chapters in which Hasan explores first Bernstein's early preoccupations with codes and consciousness, and later the sociology of pedagogy and the forming of consciousness as a concept. Within her discussion of Bernstein's work, Hasan proposes two ways of understanding theory-making: from an endotropic stance and an exotropic stance. Endotropic theories are centred on themselves and isolate their object of study, whereas exotropic theories are 'cosmoramic' in that they are in dialogic relationships with other theories, hence creating open-systems of enquiry as opposed to closed systems. The author elaborates on the need for an exotropic theory to have its core internal logic well-established before it can be shared without losing essence. She then moves on to a discussion of Vygostky's approach to the development of human mental functioning and language development which integrates both the natural and the social whilst giving a central role to semiotic mediation. She examines the shortcomings of this approach. Throughout the papers of section 1, Hasan skilfully argues that no theory on its own can grasp the complex and multilayered links between language, society and consciousness. In the last paper of this section she brings together the contribution of Bernstein, Vygostky and Halliday-all representative, in her view, of exotropic theory, hence all calling for completion which can be met through theoretical dialogism. BOOK REVIEWS 24.1

Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric, 2017

The main goal of the paper is to present a putative role of consciousness in language capacity. The paper contrasts the two approaches characteristic for cognitive semiotics and cognitive science. Language is treated as a mental phenomenon and a cognitive faculty (in contrast to approaches that define language as a primarily social phenomenon). The analysis of language activity is based on the Chalmers' (1996) distinction between the two forms of consciousness: phenomenal (simply " consciousness ") and psychological (" awareness "). The approach is seen as an alternative to phenomenological analyses typical for cognitive semiotics. Further, a cognitive model of the language faculty is described. The model is implemented in SNePS/GLAIR architecture and based on GATN grammar and semantic networks as a representation formalism. The model – reflecting traditionally distinguished linguistic structures (Jackendoff 2002: 198) – consists of phonological, syntactic, and semantic modules. I claim that the most important role in the phenomenon of language (and in explanations thereof) is played by psychological consciousness. Phenomenal consciousness accompanies various stages of language functioning (e.g. linguistic qualia), but is not indispensable in explanations of the language faculty.

The paper discusses the theoretical and methodological prerequisites for the creation of a general theory of linguistic consciousness, including a set of experiments capable of testing and possibly partially refuting some of its points. The main idea of such a theory is the simultaneous coverage of external (social) and internal (personal) factors in their influence on language viewed from the anthropocentric perspectives. The author proposes main principles, general statements and possible challenges to face for such theory which needs the appropriate theory of language, universal methods of describing different aspects and forms of the object, and principles from which the phenomenological properties of the object and the methodological characteristics of the theory are deduced. The provisions of the general theory of linguistic consciousness and the underlying experimental researches will allow to determine how the internal (emotions, values, etc.) and external (age, profession, etc.) conditions influence changes of the meanings of words and of their interconnections. The characteristics of the language fixed in the LC are not located in the person's mind, but arise between the person and the world interacting with each other. The linguistic consciousness researches should not proceed from some postulated general definition worked out by theorizing, but come to such definition by analyzing specific linguistic facts with the possibility of its subsequent revision due to new facts.

Topoi, 2014

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Preprint, 2024

This paper delves into one of the most fundamental questions in cognitive science and philosophy of mind: How does language, the very tool we use to understand and describe our consciousness, distort our perception of reality? Drawing on insights from neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, this work explores how symbolic representation—particularly through language—creates cognitive artifacts like selfhood, emotions, and qualia. Building on the predictive coding framework, the paper argues that what we commonly experience as stable realities—such as the self and emotional experiences—are not metaphysical truths, but functional constructs developed by the brain to minimize uncertainty and optimize survival. By compressing the complexity of individual emotions and experiences into simplified symbols, language creates an illusion of shared reality, inflating the ego and misguiding our understanding of consciousness. The paper appeals to scholars across disciplines—from neuroscience and AI to psychology and philosophy—by challenging the widely accepted view of selfhood as an intrinsic part of human identity. Instead, it presents a compelling argument that emotions and consciousness are cognitive tools, shaped pragmatically to serve adaptive purposes. The text invites a deeper exploration into how these cognitive artifacts function both in biological systems and in artificial intelligence, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration to further investigate the illusionary nature of subjective experiences. Ultimately, this paper is a thought-provoking contribution to ongoing debates about the nature of consciousness and invites readers from diverse fields to rethink long-held assumptions about the role of language and symbols in shaping our cognitive realities.