Neurally and Mathematically Motivated Architecture for Language and Thought

Abstract

Neural structures of interaction between thinking and language are unknown. This paper suggests a possible architecture motivated by neural and mathematical considerations. A mathematical requirement of computability imposes significant constraints on possible architectures consistent with brain neural structure and with a wealth of psychological knowledge. How language interacts with cognition. Do we think with words, or is thinking independent from language with words being just labels for decisions? Why is language learned by the age of 5 or 7, but acquisition of knowledge represented by learning to use this language knowledge takes a lifetime? This paper discusses hierarchical aspects of language and thought and argues that high level abstract thinking is impossible without language. We discuss a mathematical technique that can model the joint language-thought architecture, while overcoming previously encountered difficulties of computability. This architecture explains a contradiction between human ability for rational thoughtful decisions and irrationality of human thinking revealed by Tversky and Kahneman; a crucial role in this contradiction might be played by language. The proposed model resolves long-standing issues: how the brain learns correct words-object associations; why animals do not talk and think like people. We propose the role played by language emotionality in its interaction with thought. We relate the mathematical model to Humboldt’s “firmness” of languages; and discuss possible influence of language grammar on its emotionality. Psychological and brain imaging experiments related to the proposed model are discussed. Future theoretical and experimental research is outlined.

Neural substrates of figurative language during natural speech perception: an fMRI study

“…Nevertheless, this finding in general supports the theory that abstract figurative meaning is mainly represented in the left hemisphere (Perlovsky and Ilin, 2010). …”

Supramodal neural processing of abstract information conveyed by speech and gesture

“…Recently, a hierarchical model of language and thought has been suggested (Perlovsky and Ilin, 2010) which proposes that abstract thinking is impossible without speech (Perlovsky and Ilin, 2013). According to this model, abstract information is processed by a neural language system, regardless of whether speech or gesture is chosen as a tool to convey this information.…”

Language and cognition—joint acquisition, dual hierarchy, and emotional prosody

“…Mathematical model of the dual hierarchy is described in Perlovsky (2009a, 2012c) and Perlovsky and Ilin (2010, 2012). This model explains many facts about thinking, language, and cognition, which has remained unexplainable and would be considered mysteries, if not so commonplace.…”