[MD] On Cats, Awareness, DQ and All That Jazz

[craigerb at comcast.net]

[Arlo, from “PC Madness”] 

> Briefly, we CANNOT think without language. 



  

But can we remember anything without language?   How about other animals?  IMHO remmbering is 
thinking. 




  

[WillBlake] 
> I would disagree that mental patterns originate out of society 


. 
[Arlo] 
> If mental patterns do not originate out of society, from where do 
> they? Does the brain, independent of any social participation, 
> generate mental patterns on its own? 
> Where do the symbols come from? 
> Are they innate? 
> Genetic? 



  

IMHO symbols emerge in the interaction between an individual & their 
(social & physical) environment. 




. 
[Arlo] 
> Would all pre-language humans, whether they are Chinese or English, 
> think with pretty much identical mental patterns? 


  

IMHO humans don’t think with “mental patterns”.     If there is a role for the term “mental pattern”, 
I would say that it is when 2 people are thinking the same thing & we say 
“they have the same mental pattern”.   What other criterion would we have for the identity/existence 
of “mental patterns”? Craig