In From Molecule to Metaphor, Jerome Feldman proposes a theory of                  language and thought that treats language not as an abstract symbol system but as a                  human biological ability that can be studied as a function of the brain, as vision                  and motor control are studied. This theory, he writes, is a "bridging theory" that                  works from extensive knowledge at two ends of a causal chain to explicate the links                  between. Although the cognitive sciences are revealing much about how our brains                  produce language and thought, we do not yet know exactly how words are understood or                  have any methodology for finding out. Feldman develops his theory in computer                  simulations--formal models that suggest ways that language and thought may be                  realized in the brain. Combining key findings and theories from biology, computer                  science, linguistics, and psychology, Feldman synthesizes a theory by exhibiting                  programs that demonstrate the required behavior while remaining consistent with the                  findings from all disciplines.After presenting the essential results on language,                  learning, neural computation, the biology of neurons and neural circuits, and the                  mind/brain, Feldman introduces specific demonstrations and formal models of such                  topics as how children learn their first words, words for abstract and metaphorical                  concepts, understanding stories, and grammar (including "hot-button" issues                  surrounding the innateness of human grammar). With this accessible, comprehensive                  book Feldman offers readers who want to understand how our brains create thought and                  language a theory of language that is intuitively plausible and also consistent with                  existing scientific data at all levels.

From Molecule to Metaphor: A Neural Theory of Language (Bradford Books) PDF

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