Steven Pinker argues that language is a biological, innate human trait, an instinct, rather than a learned cultural invention. This instinct is a natural capacity that underlies human speech, and this book aims to demystify language through scientific understanding, revealing its elegance and richness. Pinker explains recent discoveries and ongoing research related to language, including the concept of universal deep structures, the role of grammar genes, and the biological basis of language acquisition.
The book addresses common questions about language, such as the vast diversity of languages, the difficulty adults face in learning new languages, and phenomena like brainy babies, signing chimps, and feral children as evidence for the innate nature of language. Readers will understand the scientific perspective on language, moving beyond superficial curiosities to grasp its fundamental biological underpinnings and evolutionary significance.
Key concepts
- Language Instinct — Language is a biological adaptation, as natural to humans as a spider's web is to a spider.
- Universal Deep Structures — Underlying principles of grammar common to all human languages, suggesting an innate linguistic faculty.
- Grammar Genes — Hypothetical genetic factors that predispose humans to acquire and use language.
- Brainy Babies — Infants exhibiting advanced cognitive and linguistic capabilities from birth, supporting the innate language hypothesis.
- Signing Chimps — Studies on chimpanzees learning sign language, examined for insights into the origins and limits of linguistic capacity.
- Feral Children — Cases of children raised without human language exposure, studied to understand the critical period for language acquisition and its biological basis.