[percy-l] Play As A Precursor To Language?

Parlin, Steven PARLINS at culver.org
Fri Dec 13 14:03:25 EST 2002


Cats play too, as do 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Cimino [mailto:evopsych at hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 6:05 PM
To: percy-l at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [percy-l] Play As A Precursor To Language?
 
 
Many animals play. Especially chimps. They play a lot, and they're arguably
the most intelligent non-human animals. And when they do play, it looks a
lot like fighting, but its not. In the example of play, "fighting" is not
fighting, but the opposite. The chimps understand that their actions, while
seemingly violent, are actually affectionate. Isn't that enough symbolism to
constitute consciousness - a "knowing" of a "world" in which they created
through they're symbolic play-fight? 
And if these chimps are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, and we
have language, and the they do not, then might play be a precursor to
language? Or, perhaps even an example of language?
Joe C. 


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