Carving up the World
69
natural forces, and all kinds of abstract entities that manage to play a role in
human affairs.
The vast assortment of things that we recognize as existing in the world is
collectively known as our ontology. Most of the objects in our ontology reveal
themselves as words in our native language. An ontology is shared by a culture,
and it is said that the difference between cultures is basically a difference of
ontologies. The American philosopher W. V. Quine has written at length on
this topic. For Quine, it is by means of our language that reality is segmented,
and therefore our ontology is embedded in our language. 2
However, historically language emerged long after the human species developed a complex world-model with its taxonomy of objects. Trees and rocks, fire
and water, can be known without words. The relationship between language
and ontology is probably the reverse of what Quine proposed: A language is
created on the basis of an existing ontology. Then, by means of language you
make fine-grained distinctions and define things that you don’t encounter in
nature. Thus, man living in modern society has expanded his ontology far
beyond its primitive form. There will never be a stable end-point when our
ontology is complete: We will always be moving forward into richer ontological
realms.
Our ontology is one aspect of our world-model. Nonhuman animals have
complex ontologies suited to their ways of life. Their ontology, no less than
their inner model of the world, are innate. Indeed a spider, for example, does
not learn web-making from its fellow spiders, nor does it learn about wind and
rain and the forces of nature. Its life span is too brief for it to receive such an
advanced education. Its education is in its genes, for it starts life with an innate
cognitive structure.
The same is generally true for the human species, but for generations we
have been enmeshed in the futile debate over nature versus nurture. Unless
you believe in a special creation, you know that it is only in a recent geological
age that homo sapiens has split from its parent species. On the other hand, our
basic world-model has its roots in deep time, and its base is certainly shared
with our primate ancestors. What we have done is extend it, and future man
will extend it further.
How a Scheme of Segmentation Comes to Be
A segmentation of reality is a systematic plan which selects out of the jumble of
the real world specific chunks which are then objectified and become existing
items of reality. Every species picks out and objectifies those items which matter
69
natural forces, and all kinds of abstract entities that manage to play a role in
human affairs.
The vast assortment of things that we recognize as existing in the world is
collectively known as our ontology. Most of the objects in our ontology reveal
themselves as words in our native language. An ontology is shared by a culture,
and it is said that the difference between cultures is basically a difference of
ontologies. The American philosopher W. V. Quine has written at length on
this topic. For Quine, it is by means of our language that reality is segmented,
and therefore our ontology is embedded in our language. 2
However, historically language emerged long after the human species developed a complex world-model with its taxonomy of objects. Trees and rocks, fire
and water, can be known without words. The relationship between language
and ontology is probably the reverse of what Quine proposed: A language is
created on the basis of an existing ontology. Then, by means of language you
make fine-grained distinctions and define things that you don’t encounter in
nature. Thus, man living in modern society has expanded his ontology far
beyond its primitive form. There will never be a stable end-point when our
ontology is complete: We will always be moving forward into richer ontological
realms.
Our ontology is one aspect of our world-model. Nonhuman animals have
complex ontologies suited to their ways of life. Their ontology, no less than
their inner model of the world, are innate. Indeed a spider, for example, does
not learn web-making from its fellow spiders, nor does it learn about wind and
rain and the forces of nature. Its life span is too brief for it to receive such an
advanced education. Its education is in its genes, for it starts life with an innate
cognitive structure.
The same is generally true for the human species, but for generations we
have been enmeshed in the futile debate over nature versus nurture. Unless
you believe in a special creation, you know that it is only in a recent geological
age that homo sapiens has split from its parent species. On the other hand, our
basic world-model has its roots in deep time, and its base is certainly shared
with our primate ancestors. What we have done is extend it, and future man
will extend it further.
How a Scheme of Segmentation Comes to Be
A segmentation of reality is a systematic plan which selects out of the jumble of
the real world specific chunks which are then objectified and become existing
items of reality. Every species picks out and objectifies those items which matter