Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 1/13 ** The Status of Language in Human Cognition and Communication ** http://inyaz.herzen.spb.ru/symposium.html " Proposal for a shared evolutionary nature of language and consciousness " Christophe Menant http://crmenant.free.fr/Home-Page/index.HTM Bordeaux – France A ) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language. A.1: Identification with conspecifics and evolution towards self-consciousness. A.2: Identification with conspecifics and anxiety Increase. A.3: Anxiety limitation and language. Evolutionary advantages. A.4: Action scenario improvements. Evolutionary advantages. A.5: Evolution of consciousness and language. Overall scenario. B) Organic meaning generation and its evolution towards language. B.1: Organic meaning generation. Stay alive constraint. B.2: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. B.3: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. MGS. B.4: Evolution of meaning communication towards language. C) Conclusion. Continuations. References Simple Primates Pre-Human Primates Humans Evolution of conscious self-representation towards conscious self and self-consciousness Representations of conspecifics with meaning: « Existing in the environment » Auto-representation without conscious self-representation Intersubjectivity and identification with conspecifics (Mirror Neurons) Merger of representations and of meanings Auto-representation becomes « existing in the environment » First element of conscious self-representation Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 2/13 A) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language * Pre-human primates lived in groups. * Conspecifics were represented as existing in the environment. * Pre-human primates carried some auto-representation. * Pre-human primates identified with conspecifics. * The auto-representation became « existing in the environment ». * Initiated first elements of conscious self-representation. A.1: Identification with conspecifics and evolution towards self-consciousness [4] Simple Primates Pre-Human Primates Humans Evolution of conscious self-representation towards conscious self and self-consciousness Representations of conspecifics with meaning: « Existing in the environment » Auto-representation without conscious self-representation Intersubjectivity and identification with conspecifics (Mirror Neurons) Merger of representations and of meanings Auto-representation becomes « existing in the environment » First element of conscious self-representation Identification with suffering or endangered conspecifics => anxiety increase to be limited Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 3/13 A) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language * Dangerous environment at times of survival of the fittest. * Identifying with suffering or endangered conspecifics created an anxiety increase. * Important anxiety had to be limited. A.2: Identification with conspecifics and anxiety increase [4] Simple Primates Pre-Human Primates Humans Evolution of conscious self-representation towards conscious self and self-consciousness Representations of conspecifics with meaning: « Existing in the environment » Auto-representation without conscious self-representation Intersubjectivity and identification with conspecifics (Mirror Neurons) Merger of representations and of meanings Auto-representation becomes « existing in the environment » First element of conscious self-representation Identification with suffering or endangered conspecifics => anxiety increase to be limited Anxiety limitation by development of: Caring Empathy & emotions Action simulation Imitation Langage Intersubjectivity Evolutionary advantage Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 4/13 A) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language * Anxiety limitation by development of behavioral & mental capacities, Includes language. * Evolutionary advantage and positive feedback on intersubjectivity. * Development of language as key in the evolutionary scenario of self-consciousness. * Evolution from communication to language to be analyzed within evolution of SC. A.3: Anxiety limitation and language. Evolutionary advantages. [4] Improvement of individual and group performances Simple Primates Pre-Human Primates Humans Evolution of conscious self-representation towards conscious self and self-consciousness Representations of conspecifics with meaning: « Existing in the environment » Auto-representation without conscious self-representation Intersubjectivity and identification with conspecifics (Mirror Neurons) Merger of representations and of meanings Auto-representation becomes « existing in the environment » First element of conscious self-representation Evolutionary advantage Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 5/13 A) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language * Agent feels as her own the mistaken action implemented by the conspecific. * Agent perceives the mistaken action from her position. * Different perspective => possibility of new action programs that avoid the mistake. * Improved action programs availability. Transfer to conspecifics by imitation and language. A.4: Action scenario improvements. Evolutionary advantages. [7] Improvement of individual and group performances Identification with conspecific implementing a mistaken action. Different perspectives => possibiity of improved action program. Transfer by imitation. Synergy. Anxiety limitation. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 6/13 Anxiety limitation by development of: Caring Empathy & emotions Action simulation Imitation Language Intersubjectivity Action programs improvements Intersubjectivity and identification with Conspecifics Evolution of self-consciousness Evolutionary advantage Improvement of individual and group performances Positive Feedback on intersubjectivity Anxiety increase * Postive feedback and evolutionary advantages for self-consciousness. * Contributors are interrelated. Language is key contributor (synergy). * Nature of language is embedded in nature of consciousness. * Anxiety increase/limitation as permanent evolutionary engine. A.5: Evolution of consciousness and language. Overall scenario. A) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 7/13 aA) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language. A.1: Identification with conspecifics and evolution towards self-consciousness. A.2: Identification with conspecifics and anxiety Increase. A.3: Anxiety limitation and language. Evolutionary advantages. A.4: Action scenario improvements. Evolutionary advantages. A.5: Evolution of consciousness and language. Overall scenario B) Organic meaning generation and its evolution towards language. B.1: Organic meaning generation. Stay alive constraint. B.2: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. B.3: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. MGS B.4: Evolution of meaning communication towards language. C) Conclusion. Continuations. References ** The Status of Language in Human Cognition and Communication ** http://inyaz.herzen.spb.ru/symposium.html " Proposal for a shared evolutionary nature of language and consciousness " Christophe Menant http://crmenant.free.fr/Home-Page/index.HTM Bordeaux – France - * Stay alive constraint => organic meaning generation. * Meaning generation for constraint satisfaction by action implementation. * Meaning does not exist by itself. Is attached to a system that creates it or uses it. * Meaning generation as first step in evolution. Prior to communication and language. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 8/13 B) Organic meaning generation and its evolution towards language B.1: Organic meaning generation. Stay alive constraint. [1, 2] Incident information (Acid in water) MEANING GENERATOR SYSTEM MGS Reception

Identification of the connection between the constraint and the received information (connection between staying alive and the presence of acid) Constraint S of the system (To stay alive) (Paramecium) Meaningful S information (acid not compatible with staying alive) Determination of the action satisfying the constraint S of the system (To move away from acid area) SYSTEM SUBMITTED TO A CONSTRAINT S B.2: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. [2, 6] * Meaning transmission from transmitter to receiver. Group life constraints. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 9/13 B) Organic meaning generation and its evolution towards language TRANSMITTER RECEIVER Information meaningful (T) to be transmitted Received meaningless information Constraint T Reception Meaningless Incident information Identification of connection between the constraint T and the information Received information, meaningful (T) Constraint R Information meaningful R Determination of action satisfying the constraint R of the system Identification of connection between received information and constraint R B.3: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. MGS. * Meaning Generator Systems as driving Transmitter and Receiver. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 10/13 B) Organic meaning generation and its evolution towards language TRANSMITTER RECEIVER Information meaningful (T) to be transmitted Received meaningless information Constraint T Reception Meaningless Incident information Identification of connection between the constraint T and the information Received information, meaningful (T) Constraint R Information meaningful R Determination of action satisfying the constraint R of the system Identification of connection between received information and constraint R M G S M G S Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 11/13 Meaningfull information (stay alive constraint) Communication (group life constraints) Possibility for language (anxiety limitation constraint) * Evolution of constraints. Evolution does not plan ahead. * Nature of language is embedded in nature of consciousness. * Evolution of meaningful information Communication Language. B.4: Evolution of meaning communication towards language. [6] B) Organic meaning generation and its evolution towards language Anxiety limitation by development of: Caring Empathy & emotions Action simulation Imitation Language Intersubjectivity Action programs improvements Intersubjectivity and identification with Conspecifics Evolution of self-consciousness Evolutionary advantage Improvement of individual and group performances Positive Feedback on intersubjectivity Anxiety increase Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 12/13 aA) Evolutionary scenario for self-consciousness and language. A.1: Identification with conspecifics and evolution towards self-consciousness. A.2: Identification with conspecifics and anxiety Increase. A.3: Anxiety limitation and language. Evolutionary advantages. A.4: Action scenario improvements. Evolutionary advantages. A.5: Evolution of consciousness and language. Overall scenario aB) Organic meaning generation and its evolution towards language. B.1: Organic meaning generation. Stay alive constraint. B.2: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. B.3: Meaning communication. Group life constraints. MGS B.4: Evolution of meaning communication towards language. C) Conclusion. Continuations. References ** The Status of Language in Human Cognition and Communication ** http://inyaz.herzen.spb.ru/symposium.html " Proposal for a shared evolutionary nature of language and consciousness " Christophe Menant http://crmenant.free.fr/Home-Page/index.HTM Bordeaux – France Conclusion

* Evolutionary approach => Nature of language is embedded in nature of consciousness. Identification with conspecifics as source of conscious self and of anxiety. Development of language for anxiety limitation. Evolutionary advantages. * Evolutionary process: meaning generation => communication => language. Meaning generation process based on constraint satisfaction. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Saint Petersburg 11-12 October, 2010. C. Menant 13/13 C) Conclusion. Continuation. References Continuation * Evolution of constraints. Evolution of communication and language. [6] * Evolutionary history of intersubjectivity. Links with phenomenal consciousness. [5] * Evolution of anxiety/anxiety limitation. Phylogenesis of emotions and feeling. [3] * Shared analysis for the evolutions of consciousness and language. References [1] 2002. " Fom Biosemiotics to semiotic " http://philpapers.org/rec/MENFBT [2] 2003. " Information and Meaning " http://philpapers.org/rec/MENIAM-2 [3] 2004 " Performances of Self Awareness used to explain the Evolutionary Advantages of Consciousness". http://philpapers.org/rec/MENPOS [4] 2006 "Evolution of Representations and Intersubjectivity as sources of the Self. An Introduction to the Nature of Self-Consciousness" http://philpapers.org/rec/MENEOR [5] 2008 "Evolution as connecting first-person and third-person perspectives of consciousness" http://philpapers.org/rec/MENEAC [6] 2010 "Computation on Information, Meaning and Representations. An Evolutionary Approach" http://philpapers.org/rec/MENCOI [7] 2010 "Evolutionary Advantages of Inter-Subjectivity and Self-Consciousness through Improvements of Action Programs" http://philpapers.org/rec/MENEAO