Symbols as constraints: The structuring role of dynamics and self-organization in natural language
Abstract
The paper draws a parallel between natural language symbols and the symbolic mode in living systems. The inextricability of symbols and the dynamics with which they are functionally related shows that much of their structuring is due to dynamics and self-organization. It is also stressed that important factors that determine the shape of language structure lie outside individual mind/brains and they draw on time-scales quite different from those of phenomenological experience. Analysis of language into units and subsystems is thus not straightforward, since they show functionality on many levels and many time-scales. Finally it is recognized that, as a specific and specialized system of inter-individual coordination, natural language is many hierarchical levels away form simpler forms of information transmission in biological systems.
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There is a strong and varied research tradition of bringing the physical approach into contact with the social approach.
“There is a strong and varied research tradition of bringing the physical approach into contact with the social approach (Dent, 1990;Hodges & Baron, 1992;Raczaszek-Leonardi, 2009;Schmidt, 2007;Szokolszky & Read, 2018).”
From Productive pluralism: The coming of age of ecological psychology. (2024) · cites this paper as Raczaszek-Leonardi, 2009
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Cited by 65
- Authors
- Raczaszek-Leonardi, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Bologna
- Venue
- Pragmatics & Cognition
- Publisher
- John Benjamins Publishing Company
- Published
- 2009-12-02
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 653-676
- ISSN
- 0929-0907 (ISSN-L)
- 1569-9943
- OpenAlex
- W1999762397
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 25.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Pragmatics & Cognition (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
- Keywords
- natural language, symbols, self-organization, dynamics, language structure, time scales, information transmission, biological systems
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