Constructing general interpretation-theory for linguistic and non-linguistic animals

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19951
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0101:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Nakayachi Yu 九州大学, 人文科学研究院, 学術研究員 (90908170)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 心の哲学 / 他者理解 / 動物の心 / 概念相対主義 / 心的内容

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research addressed the problem of interpreting others (understanding others), that is how we can know what others think based on the observable behaviors of others. Interpretation of others has two aspects: the aspect of interpreting what others are thinking in particular situations, and the aspect of interpreting the thinking and conceptual abilities of others as being included in this aspect. In this research, we attempted to clarify the role of verbal and nonverbal behaviors in interpreting the thoughts of others, and the differences in the thinking and conceptual abilities of creatures with and without verbal abilities. As an outcome, we presented an explanation in terms of the form of representation and further explored more specific characterizations of conceptual diversity in the discussion of conceptual relativism.

Free Research Field

哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの研究では、言語行動をもとにした解釈理論が精緻化されてきたが、近年では、動物認知研究の理論的枠組みとして、言語能力のない動物の思考を、非言語行動をもとに解釈する方法を明らかにすることが期待されている。
この研究を通じて、表象の形式や、概念の多様性に着目することで、思考能力・概念能力を理解するための理論的な枠組みの可能性が提示されることとなった。