Is Symbolic Language The Defining Features Of Homo Sapiens?

Have you ever wondered how we speak? How about why our communication is considered a language and other animal’s communication is not considered language? A wide range of beliefs exist on what defines language. Thus, by exploring the definition of language and lexicon, evaluating language’s key features, the four levels of language structure and processing, and the role of language in Cognitive Psychology, an understanding of what language is becomes clear. Let us begin by defining language and a term named lexicon.

What makes us human? What makes us human is our curiosity and constant evolution. What makes us human is the ability to create social categories and to form opinions. Abstract emotions including love, thought and creativity are what make us human. In 1984, George Orwell uses his dystopia to show that if we were to abolish these abstract emotions we would cease to be human and become the simple primates we once were; surviving for the sake of survival.

What makes us human? This question has been asked over and over by many scholars and people alike to try to identify us as one. Many people have sat, stood, even laid down trying to understand what the answer to this question is. I may not know the exact answer but I do have a theory. I think the thing that makes us human is our differences and the understanding that no matter our differences we are all still the same animal.

What makes humans human? What sets us apart from every other living thing on earth? Humans have been asking themselves this question for generations, all coming up with different reasons and answers. However, today humanity has come up with a set of traits that they believe make humans human. Those six traits are survival, emotion, relationship, morality, choice, and loss. One can see these traits everywhere in daily life and in entertainment. Including literature, one can see traits of shared humanity in different kinds of literature.

Clive Wynne says that with the addition of grammar and the ability to combine words makes humankind’s communicative potential unlimited. This unlimited potential is significant to his argument because it shows a difference between us and animals.

“What makes us human?”, is an unanswered question asked by many. Is it because of our ability to have empathy for others? Or is it because of our cognitive ability which allows us to look into the future? One of the main arguments made that separates humans from animals is our communication style; our language. Is language inherently unique to human? To answer such a question, we first operationally define language as; “a system of communication based upon words and the combination of words into sentences” (University of Oslo). The purpose of language is for us to be able to convey an infinite amount of ideas to one another. Sign language in general also falls under this definition as it has a complex system of rules and syntax that allow the signed figures to function as words. Animal communication on the other hand, is operationally defined as, “the transmission of a signal from one animal to another such that the sender benefits, on average, from the response of the recipient” (Pearce 1987). With this in mind, current research has shown that the answer is that language is inherently unique to humans.

What distinguishes humans from other species? Born with the intellectual capacity, we consider ourselves as superior to other animals. Indeed, we have the ability to learn new things and develop our own understanding through education and experience. It is human’s minds that create civilizations and modern technologies that have undeniably changed the face of the Earth. While we are constantly expanding our knowledge and discovering incredible trademarks, even our most-related animal relatives are sitting somewhere in their habitat. Nevertheless, it is also human’s minds that cause murder, adultery, bullying, terrorism, war, etc. In the song “Savages” by Marina and the Diamond called, she claims “Underneath it all we’re just savages / Hidden

Humans have subjugated the world, populating almost every continent. Homo sapiens have risen to an overpowering, dominant level. But why us? What gave Homo sapiens such an advantage? Homo sapiens are special in a cognitive sense, and the only major evolutionary advantage they have been given is able brains. Humans are intellectually driven- we want to learn things. They have more inventive ability than any other living creature. They enjoy expression and explaining things to those around us. In fact, Homo sapiens think so big and so inventively that human bodies have had to change to fit their ability to think and to create. Humans have learned so much over the course of our 200,000 year existence, and we continue to strive for knowledge.

After reading and trying to understand the first chapter of Death from a Distance and the Birth of a Humane Universe: Human Evolution, Behavior, History, and Your Future, I started doing a little research on the subject. One of the points that I found more interesting is our uniqueness as human beings.

The qualities that makes us human...there are so many aspects to consider. We are made up of different qualities, including the difference in race - our physical appearances, including hair colour, skin tone etc. - and ethnicity - our cultures, geographic regions, languages, religions, etc. Although we are all so different, there are a few qualities that we have in common. We all live on the planet Earth. We breathe the same air, live under the same sky and walk on the same ground. Our bodies are composed in the same way. We walk and talk the same

For example, imitation and teaching explain that chimpanzee’s may watch their mother doing actions academically (problem-solving) she never gives her young enough feedback or just a simple look to reinforce his observation. He concludes by explaining that humans have a preexisting capacity that allows them to represent what they imagine by combining human elements (language) while, animals clearly do not.

Where there is humanity, there is logical thinking and individualism. I believe that this is what separates human beings from animal species. Each

What makes humankind unique? In order for me to answer that question, I am going to have to go biblical on you. I mean, besides the obvious examples that quickly pop into my head such as our ability to speak, walk upright on two legs, and use our imaginations. The bible makes a very clear distinction between animals and men. “God provides that seed with the body he wishes; he gives each seed its own proper body. And the flesh of living beings is not all the same kind of flesh, human beings have one kind of flesh, animals another, birds another, and fish another (1 Corinthians 15:38-39, GNT). There are many ways which humans differ from other species. In the scientific world, man is also an animal, given the distinction of being Homo

One of the ways humans can be individually identified from other species is through symbolic language. Symbolic language is broad and encompasses a wide variety of simple and complex defining features that Homo Sapiens use to communicate. Symbolic language is the reason we have the ability to collectively learn and share knowledge with each other. As symbolic language is so wide in its variety, it incorporates ideas such as how humans have advanced through technology and communication, how we can create and believe in fictional realities and how we have the ability to feel emotions from creativity and expression. Symbolic language is an extensive and vital feature that defines Homo Sapiens from all other species.

What makes us human? For thousands of years, we have struggled to describe what it means to be human. Is it the way we walk, the size of our brain, the tools we use, or our capacity for emotion? All of these can make a difference when it comes to understanding our ancestry and what makes us special.