I don't think so: Pinker on the mentalese monopoly

Journal/Book: Philos Psychol. 1999; 12: PO Box 25, Abingdon Ox14 3Ue, Oxfordshire, England. Carfax Publ Ltd. 283-295.

Abstract: Stephen Pinker sets out over a dozen arguments in The language instinct (Morrow, New York, 1994) for his widely shared view that natural language is inadequate as a medium for thought. Thus he argues we must suppose that the primary medium of thought and inference is an innate propositional representation system, mentalese. I reply to the various arguments and so defend the view that some thought essentially involves natural language. I argue mentalese doesn't solve any of the problems Pinker cites for the view that we think in natural language. So I don't think I think the way he thinks I think.

Note: Article Cole D, Univ Minnesota, Dept Philosophy, Duluth 365 AB Anderson Hall, 10 Univ Dr, Duluth,MN 55812 USA

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