SCIENTIFIC DIALOGUES
ACADEMIA EUROPAEA BARCELONA KNOWLEDGE HUB
FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY#
The bases of language: from tabula rasa to biological determinism#
Frontiers 2: 22-11-2023 from 18.00 h to 19.30 h
Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona (RACAB)
La Rambla, 115, 08002 Barcelona
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88217132118?pwd=LgCtEjbvQPI5YiBfC8c2I5PORVymMw.FcN0qMAfcoWK3h6c
The transition from the concept of language as a "tabula rasa" to one influenced by "biological determinism" represents a significant shift in our understanding of language acquisition and development These two perspectives offer different explanations for how humans acquire and use language, and they have been central to debates in linguistics, psychology, and biology The "tabula rasa" perspective, often associated with philosophers like John Locke, suggests that the human mind is a blank slate at birth, and language acquisition is primarily a result of environmental factors and learning experiences On the other side, the "biological determinism" perspective posits that humans have innate, biologically predetermined mechanisms for language acquisition.
In contemporary discussions, many researchers and theorists seek to reconcile these perspectives Where are we in the debate? Has the incursion of computer sciences and physics changed the arena?
Invited speakers#
Cedric Boeckx, ICREA Research Professor at the Department of Linguistics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona
Ramon Ferrer-i-Cancho, Professor of Computer Science at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona
Moderator#
Toni Badia, Pompeu Fabra University Barcelona
For further information: aebarcelona@fundaciorecerca.cat
Academia Europaea Barcelona Knowledge Hub.
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