Linguistics: the body and beyond

Místo konání: CTS, Husova 4, Praha 1, 3. patro

From the time of Saussure, linguists have grappled with how a body can control language while engaging with the world beyond skin and skull. The paper begins with a historical sketch of attempts to resolve the puzzles. It is then argued that the problem dissolves when attention is given to how human cognition spreads across brain, body and world. Far from being text-like, language is based in bodily dynamics. Finally, consideration is given to implications for the humanities and the language sciences.