Language as a Material Cognitive Artifact: Merits and Limitations of Andy Clark’s Concept of Language

Marcin TRYBULEC

Katedra Ontologii i Epistemologii, Instytut Filozofii, Wydział Filozofii i Socjologii, Uniwersytet Marii Curie–Skłodowskiej Plac Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej 4, 20-033 Lublin, Poland , Poland

Abstract

The key research question of the paper is why the material dimension of language should be considered an important factor in researching into its cognitive role. In order to answer the question, the author considers Andy Clark’s concept of language as a cognitive artifact. On the one hand, the text aims at presenting the uniqueness and limitations of Clark’s ideas, on the other hand, it aims to explain Clark’s claim that language is an external coordination tool which supplements, but does not transform, mind’s basic modes of representation. The author distinguishes Clark’s position from classical considerations about language and cognition developed under the label of linguistic determinism and analyzes the concept of cognitive artifact, to move toward the characterization of language in terms of material cognitive tool and to show some limitations of such a description.

 

Keywords:

language, cognition, cognitive artifact, cognitive tool, internal speech, materiality, coordination