Are stories the chicken or the egg?
This Commentary integrates lessons from the Mirror System Hypothesis of the origin of language and Ferretti’s emphasis on the centrality of narrative as both precursor and expression of language. It qualifies the notion that “stories came first” by showing that stories expressible in pre-language pa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Mimesis Edizioni, Milano
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia |
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| Online Access: | https://www.rifp.it/ojs/index.php/rifp/article/view/rifp.2025.0003 |
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| _version_ | 1849705854059675648 |
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| author | Michael A. Arbib |
| author_facet | Michael A. Arbib |
| author_sort | Michael A. Arbib |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This Commentary integrates lessons from the Mirror System Hypothesis of the origin of language and Ferretti’s emphasis on the centrality of narrative as both precursor and expression of language. It qualifies the notion that “stories came first” by showing that stories expressible in pre-language pantomime are very much simpler than narratives of the scope we can share in modern languages. We thus insist on the term “protonarrative” and explore how the path from pantomime via protolanguages to modern languages formed an expanding spiral with the path from protonarratives to the richness of narratives as we know them today. Additionally, pre-language pantomime served for social coordination and simple forms of teaching. In short, protonarrative was one of the precursors of modern languages but a crucial one, while present-day narratives provide powerful expressions of the capabilities of modern human languages. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-89c43abdfac34f898fca9f481506d8d3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2039-4667 2239-2629 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Mimesis Edizioni, Milano |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia |
| spelling | doaj-art-89c43abdfac34f898fca9f481506d8d32025-08-20T03:16:22ZdeuMimesis Edizioni, MilanoRivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia2039-46672239-26292025-01-01161222910.4453/rifp.2025.0003Are stories the chicken or the egg?Michael A. ArbibThis Commentary integrates lessons from the Mirror System Hypothesis of the origin of language and Ferretti’s emphasis on the centrality of narrative as both precursor and expression of language. It qualifies the notion that “stories came first” by showing that stories expressible in pre-language pantomime are very much simpler than narratives of the scope we can share in modern languages. We thus insist on the term “protonarrative” and explore how the path from pantomime via protolanguages to modern languages formed an expanding spiral with the path from protonarratives to the richness of narratives as we know them today. Additionally, pre-language pantomime served for social coordination and simple forms of teaching. In short, protonarrative was one of the precursors of modern languages but a crucial one, while present-day narratives provide powerful expressions of the capabilities of modern human languages.https://www.rifp.it/ojs/index.php/rifp/article/view/rifp.2025.0003evolution of languagemirror system hypothesisnarrativepantomimeprotolanguage |
| spellingShingle | Michael A. Arbib Are stories the chicken or the egg? Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia evolution of language mirror system hypothesis narrative pantomime protolanguage |
| title | Are stories the chicken or the egg? |
| title_full | Are stories the chicken or the egg? |
| title_fullStr | Are stories the chicken or the egg? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are stories the chicken or the egg? |
| title_short | Are stories the chicken or the egg? |
| title_sort | are stories the chicken or the egg |
| topic | evolution of language mirror system hypothesis narrative pantomime protolanguage |
| url | https://www.rifp.it/ojs/index.php/rifp/article/view/rifp.2025.0003 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelaarbib arestoriesthechickenortheegg |