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Question: I have a philosophy essay and the question is, 'Why is man a linguistic animal!?' !?
Does anyone know what I can write about or where I can find some information!?
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Ernst Cassirer wrote a book about this, called An Essay on Man!.
Highly interesting book!.
People are linguistic animals because we have become dependent upon language, oral and written, to communicate with each other!. Most species can communicate with members of their own species by means of signals (a cat fluffing his fur to make him look bigger, the croaking of frogs to find a mate, and so on)!. Intelligent species like dogs have some 50 kinds of yips, barks, growls, whines, and so on!. As puppies they understand the commands humans give them, no matter what language the human owner speaks!. Chimps have a more extensive vocabulary, but they still don't talk!.
Language allows us to tell others what ails us, what we want from someone, give commands (and excuses for not obeying them), discuss the weather likely for tomorrow, express logic, sing, etc!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Evolution has offered insight into the human ability to communicate by employing abstract representation of real objects and contexts!.
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/FOXP2
http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/Animal_lang!.!.!.
Humans are not the only animals that are linguistic, but we demonstrate an aptitude that far exceeds other examples found in nature!.
The obvious answer as to why seems to be that humans are well endowed with superior cognitive faculties and genetically equipped to exploit those advantages!.
The communication with a complex language is a learned behavior our genetic inheritance is the best explanation of how we are able to achieve language so quickly as individuals!.

Humans are born to use language, it is in our intrinsic nature!.
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"Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigation!. He talks extensively about the opaqueness of understanding as a mental process and how hard it is to pin down!."

Quoted from one of the answers to my previous question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because our ancestors invented language!.!.!.

But more importantly than speaking, is!.!.!.

"Singing!.!.!."

If there be Angels in Heaven, they do not speak!.!.!.they sing!

"Gong!"

(Rock on!.!.!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com

!.!.!.google it!.!.!.good luck!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because we can be!.!.!.!. why else would we have vocal chords!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

cuz we're smarter than!.!.!.say!.!.!.!.!.ant eatersWww@QuestionHome@Com