What a Border Collie Taught a Linguist About Language
Really interesting article.<p>In regards to: &quot;Cooperation leading to the development of language is one of the leading hypotheses for what makes human beings unique among the animals.&quot;<p>The core difference between humans and animals is that humans can reason; we possess cogitative powers. Philosophers of mind and language, like PMS Hacker, have written extensively on this topic. Humans can ask &quot;why?&quot;, can plan, can hope, can wish, can dream, all through language. Language is an ability and allows us to reason, give reasons, and have reasons. Dogs and animals can&#x27;t ask &quot;why?&quot; &quot;Why?&quot; is beyond their limit of expression because they do not possess language. They can be confused, but confusion is not asking &quot;why?&quot; because &quot;why?&quot; is a demand for reasons. Confusion is simply not knowing what is going on, while reasoning is thinking in future and past tenses, it allows us to plan and introspect.<p>I think the equation of whistling with full language is interesting, but it potentially reads cogitative powers in dogs when it might simply be the humans reading themselves into the dogs.<p>The point around cooperation is fascinating in this regard, in which case, the cooperation might be that humans reason for the dog. In other words, the dogs provide the brawn and the handlers supply the brains. We domesticated dogs because they worked for us.