http://condor.depaul.edu/~mfiddler/hyphen/humunivers.htm
abstraction in speech & thought
actions under self-control distinguished from those not under control
aesthetics
affection expressed and felt
age grades
age statuses
age terms
ambivalence
anthropomorphization
anticipation
antonyms
attachment
baby talk
belief in supernatural/religion
beliefs, false
beliefs about death
beliefs about disease
beliefs about fortune and misfortune
binary cognitive distinctions
biological mother and social mother normally the same person
black (color term)
body adornment
childbirth customs
childcare
childhood fears
childhood fear of loud noises
childhood fear of strangers
choice making (choosing alternatives)
classification
classification of age
classification of behavioral propensities
classification of body parts
classification of colors
classification of fauna
classification of flora
classification of inner states
classification of kin
classification of sex
classification of space
classification of tools
classification of weather conditions
coalitions
collective identities
conflict
conflict, consultation to deal with
conflict, means of dealing with
conflict, mediation of
conjectural reasoning
containers
continua (ordering as cognitive pattern)
contrasting marked and nonmarked sememes (meaningful elements in language)
cooking
cooperation
cooperative labor
copulation normally conducted in privacy
corporate (perpetual) statuses
coyness display
critical learning periods
crying
cultural variability
culture
culture/nature distinction
customary greetings
daily routines
dance
death rituals
decision making
decision making, collective
differential valuations
directions, giving of
discrepancies between speech, thought, and action
dispersed groups
distinguishing right and wrong
diurnality
divination
division of labor
division of labor by age
division of labor by sex
dominance/submission
dreams
dream interpretation
economic inequalities
economic inequalities, consciousness of
emotions
empathy
entification (treating patterns and relations as things)
environment, adjustments to
envy
envy, symbolic means of coping with
ethnocentrism
etiquette
explanation
face (word for)
facial communication
facial expression of anger
facial expression of contempt
facial expression of disgust
facial expression of fear
facial expression of happiness
facial expression of surprise
facial expressions, masking/modifying of
fairness (equity), concept of
family (or household)
father and mother, separate kin terms for
fears
fear of death
fears, ability to overcome some
feasting
females do more direct childcare
figurative speech
fire
folklore
food preferences
food sharing
future, attempts to predict
generosity admired
gestures
gift giving
good and bad distinguished
gossip
government
grammar
group living
groups that are not based on family
habituation
hairstyles
hand (word for)
healing the sick (or attempting to)
hope
hospitality
husband older than wife on average
hygienic care
identity, collective
imagery
incest between mother and son unthinkable or tabooed
incest, prevention or avoidance
in-group distinguished from out-group(s)
in-group biases in favor of
inheritance rules
institutions (organized co-activities)
insulting
intention
interest in bioforms (living things or things that resemble them)
interpolation
interpreting behavior
intertwining (e.g., weaving)
jokes
judging others
kin, close distinguished from distant
kin groups
kin terms translatable by basic relations of procreation
kinship statuses
language
language employed to manipulate others
language employed to misinform or mislead
language is translatable
language not a simple reflection of reality
language, prestige from proficient use of
law (rights and obligations)
law (rules of membership)
leaders
lever
likes and dislikes
linguistic redundancy
logical notions
logical notion of "and"
logical notion of "equivalent"
logical notion of "general/particular"
logical notion of "not"
logical notion of "opposite"
logical notion of "part/whole"
logical notion of "same"
magic
magic to increase life
magic to sustain life
magic to win love
making comparisons
male and female and adult and child seen as having different natures
males dominate public/political realm
males engage in more coalitional violence
males more aggressive
males more prone to lethal violence
males more prone to theft
males, on average, travel greater distances over lifetime
manipulate social relations
marking at phonemic, syntactic, and lexical levels
marriage
materialism
meal times
mearning, most units of are non-universal
measuring
medicine
melody
memory
mental maps
mentalese
metaphor
metonym
mood- or consciousness-altering techniques and/or substances
moral sentiments
moral sentiments, limited effective range of
morphemes
mother normally has consort during child-rearing years
mourning
murder proscribed
music
music, children's
music related in part to dance
music related in part to religious activity
music seen as art (a creation)
music, vocal
music, vocal, includes speech forms
musical redundancy
musical reptition
musical variation
myths
narrative
nomenclature (perhaps the same as classification)
nonbodily decorative art
normal distinguished from abnormal states
nouns
numerals (counting)
Oedipus complex
oligarchy (de facto)
one (numeral)
onomatopoeia
overestimating objectivity of thought
pain
past/present/future
person, concept of
personal names
phonemes
phonemes defined by set of minimally constrasting features
phonemes, merging of
phonemes, range from 10 to 70 in number
phonemic change, inevitability of
phonemic change, rules of
phonemic system
planning
planning for future
play
play to perfect skills
poetry/rhetoric
poetic line, uniform length range
poetic lines characterized by repetition and variation
poetic lines demarcated by pauses
polysemy (one word has several meanings)
possessive, intimate
possessive, loose
practice to improve skills
precedence, concept of (that's how the leopard got its spots)
preference for own children and close kin (nepotism)
prestige inequalities
pretend play
pride
private inner life
promise
pronouns
pronouns, minimum two numbers
pronouns, minimum three persons
proper names
property
proverbs, sayings
proverbs, sayings - in mutually contradictory forms
psychological defense mechanisms
rape
rape proscribed
reciprocal exchanges (0f labor, goods, or services)
reciprocity, negative (revenge, retaliation)
regocnition of individuals by face
redress of wrongs
resistance to abuse of poser, to dominance
rhythm
right-handedness as population norm
risk-taking
rites of passage
rituals
role and personality seen in dynamic interrlationship (i.e., departures from role can be explained in terms of individual personality)
sanctions
sanctions fro crimes against the collectivity
sanctions include removal from the social unit
self-control
self distinguished from other
self as neither wholly passive nor wholly autonomous
self as subject and object
self-image, awareness of (concern for what others think)
self-image, manipulation of
self-image, wanted to be positive
self is responsible
semantics
semantic category of affecting things and people
semantic category of dimension
semantic category of giving
semantic category of location
semantic category of motion
semantic category of other physical properties
semantic components
semantic components, generation
semantic components, sex
sememes, commonly used ones are short, infrequently used ones are longer
senses unified
sex differences in spatial cognition and behavior
sex (gender) terminology is fundamentally binary
sex statuses
sexual attraction
sexual attractiveness
sexual jealousy
sexual modesty
sexual regulation
sexual regulation includes incest prevention
sexuality as focus of interest
shame
shelter
sickness and death seen as related
snakes, wariness around
social structure
socialization
socialization expected from senior kin
socialization includes toilet training
spear
special speech for special occasions
statuses and roles
statuses, ascribed and achieved
statuses distinguished from individuals
statuses on other than sex, age, or kinship bases
stinginess, disapproval of
stop/nonstop contrasts (in speech sounds)
succession
sucking wounds
sweets preferred
symbolism
symbolic speech
synesthetic metaphors
synonyms
taboos
tabooed foods
tabooed utterances
taxonomy
territoriality
thumb sucking
tickling
time
time, cyclicity of
tools
tool dependency
tool making
tools for cutting
tools to make tools
tools patterned culturally
tools, permament
tools for pounding
toys, playthings
trade
triangular awareness (assessinjg relationships among the self and two other people)
true and false distinguished)
turn-taking
two (numeral)
tying material (i.e., something like string)
units of time
verbs
violence, some forms of proscribed
visiting
vocalic/nonvocalic contrasts in phonemes
vowel contrasts
weaning
weapons
weather control (attempts to)
while (color term)
world view
Good list.
Such on THAT, cultural anthropologists!
Very interesting. I wonder how many traits on that list are universal among all apes.
I found a link to a 12 page doc on the subject of universal human traits by the same author here: http://humiliationstudies.org/documents/BrownUniversalsDaedalus.pdf
I posted a list very similar to this a while back, basically copied a few pages from "The Language Instinct" by Pinker.
It was also in this subforum, but I'm not sure if I can find it without the search function.
I should dig it up though cause I wonder if it's a summary of the same one or just very similar (Pinker's version was written as paragraphs, not a list).
Quote from: Triple Zero on November 23, 2010, 04:29:21 PM
"The Language Instinct" by Pinker.
The Blank Slate was an incredable book
Forgive me, I'm a little confused/stupid as to the point of this list.
I pretty much get what it means by human universals, but...so what?
Well, I suppose it isn't that interesting...if you don't find people interesting.
Interesting list, Subetai!
Quotementalese
I found this interesting, I studied a Philosophy course at the start of the year on Cognitive Science (the type of philosophy that is rather science heavy, none of this Cartesian bullshit), and we looked at the concept of mentalese. However I seem to remember there being several different forms of mentalese, can any of you guys shed light on what he may mean? Perhaps I should just read
The Blank Slate.
Quotenumerals (counting)
This was also interesting, because I seem to remember in
Guns, Germs, and Steel Diamond mentioned a tribe in Northern Australia (I think) that didn't have numerals, they had "one", "two" and "many" but no actual counting.
Quote from: Subetai on November 25, 2010, 07:37:00 AM
Well, I suppose it isn't that interesting...if you don't find people interesting.
I wasn't saying that I don't find it interesting, but that I don't understand what its implications are.
Quote from: Rumckle on November 25, 2010, 08:06:43 AM
This was also interesting, because I seem to remember in Guns, Germs, and Steel Diamond mentioned a tribe in Northern Australia (I think) that didn't have numerals, they had "one", "two" and "many" but no actual counting.
You may be thinking of the Pirahã (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirah%C3%A3_language#Numerals_and_grammatical_number). No doubt there are other peoples with similarly minimal vocabulary.
Quote from: ELATIO on November 25, 2010, 09:00:57 AM
I wasn't saying that I don't find it interesting, but that I don't understand what its implications are.
Go down the list asking yourself 'why?' at every point.
Example: I am completely baffled by shame, i don't get what the evolutionary advantage is.
Shame is an interesting thing, its supposedly the internalized morality of your surrounding society (or father figure, depends)... it could also be a byproduct of repression/sublimation...
Someone without shame is either a complete narcicissistic dick... or an animal.
As Joh'Nyx pointed out shame is very useful morality wise, shame is there to stop people from doing something they know is wrong, even if they know no-one will ever catch them. This is useful not for the individual's survival so much, but for the tribes survival.
Quote from: Joh'Nyx on November 25, 2010, 11:40:17 AM
Someone without shame is either a complete narcicissistic dick... or an animal.
ie a sociopath or a psychopath
Of course, I don't think everything on that list would be an evolutionary advantage, some of could be a side-effect of some other advantage.
Another interesting thing there is that some of those don't seem like they would be present in hunter-gatherer tribes.
I read an interesting article (about Metaphors and the Brain) that linked activity in the brain where we process how food tastes to when we think about "good/bad" moral acts. We actually "taste" how disgusting fucking over a friend would be (or, "the sensation of disgust is the sensation of 'tastes/smells disgusting' used as a metaphor to judge an action").
Shame is realizing that you "smell/taste horrible", and is a feedback loop of feeling disgusting about "feeling disgusting" (dis~ Discord, gust~ Gastro). A "sour stomach" is a pretty good indicator of shame if you don't have any other immediate gastrointestinal problems.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
It makes a lot of sense. The selective pressure that would promote shame is that most people aren't interested in having kids with shameless people.
The selective pressure for not wanting to have kids with shameless people: They are probably less attentive to their children.
Just guesses.
Found my old thread!
Universal People (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=15821.0)
(Just dug up the link, I haven't checked how much they correspond)
Quote from: ELATIO on November 25, 2010, 09:00:57 AM
I wasn't saying that I don't find it interesting, but that I don't understand what its implications are.
To use your phrasing....so what?
I'm not here to think for you. Figure it out for your damn self.
Quote from: Subetai on November 25, 2010, 06:12:52 PM
To use your phrasing....so what?
I'm not here to think for you. Figure it out for your damn self.
Okay. I'll post a list of things that are blue-colored, and then if you ask of what use it is, I'll tell you to figure it out yourself.
I mean, come on. You posted this list without explaining it at all. If you thought it had some use, why not say what that is?
Hey. You.
Yeah YOU.
Do you want to understand humans? And by humans, I mean those fleshbags walking around? Well, you can't expect to start from singular stereotypes then, Mister. The first Law of Biology: Variation exists.
You got to look for UNIVERSALS.
You see, members of the species Homo sapiens sapiens are derived from a lineage brought about by evolution under natural selection. And as such, they share common traits which are universal to all members. Knowledge of these traits can give one insight into the whole. Insight allows one to predict behavior. Predicting behavior gives one power.
Need I go on?
The cultural anthropologists who cry out for postmodernism are missing the GODDAMN point. Either their hiding the fact that they don't know what the hell they are talking about, or hiding that they DO know what they are talking about with ideas that pull the opposite direction. There are human universals, and they are the most important traits for understanding all of humanity.
Jesus christ, do I really need to spell this shit out?
:mittens:
Good ideas, all.
and thanks for the link Telarus.
Quote from: ϗ on November 25, 2010, 07:40:13 PM
Hey. You.
Yeah YOU.
Do you want to understand humans? And by humans, I mean those fleshbags walking around? Well, you can't expect to start from singular stereotypes then, Mister. The first Law of Biology: Variation exists.
You got to look for UNIVERSALS.
You see, members of the species Homo sapiens sapiens are derived from a lineage brought about by evolution under natural selection. And as such, they share common traits which are universal to all members. Knowledge of these traits can give one insight into the whole. Insight allows one to predict behavior. Predicting behavior gives one power.
Need I go on?
The cultural anthropologists who cry out for postmodernism are missing the GODDAMN point. Either their hiding the fact that they don't know what the hell they are talking about, or hiding that they DO know what they are talking about with ideas that pull the opposite direction. There are human universals, and they are the most important traits for understanding all of humanity.
Jesus christ, do I really need to spell this shit out?
You do realize this list is *from* anthropologists right?
I don't think that they're crying out for postmodernism.
I like this list because each one gives a great opportunity for introspection...some of which could go on forever. It's neat to find out where I stand in relation to others in the same place. Plus it's a nice reminder that we're all not alone in all of this.
Quote from: Joh'Nyx on November 25, 2010, 11:40:17 AM
Shame is an interesting thing, its supposedly the internalized morality of your surrounding society (or father figure, depends)... it could also be a byproduct of repression/sublimation...
Someone without shame is either a complete narcicissistic dick... or an animal.
Interesting. I like to believe I don't feel shame, however, I think it is more that I refuse to acknowledge it on some strange level.
Seems to me like there is no point...
"Oopsie, I fucked up"...
Put on list of things not to do again.
Done.
So does this put me in the category of narcissist or animal???
Heh
I was in a meeting yesterday and we were talking about the usefulness of shame. Shame is only useful to us as a deterrent... it can never effectively be used as an incentive, yet various factions almost always forget that.
I dunno about shame, but I get embarrassed constantly.
I would use this list as a means for developing patience. I think it's beneficial to view human universals as being just that before making a judgment on what an individual human does, recognize the behavior as a universal one. What is there to gain, to lose, etc.
I like it.
I sent this list to a friend, and he was not immediately able to see why it is interesting.
So I gave it a think.
If you were to compile the list of all the universals that have to do with human language, then figure out what selective pressures caused them to evolve, you might figure out how to write a genetic algorithm that developed language learning abilities. Or at least have an idea where to start.
Quote from: Xieante Antitheus on November 28, 2010, 05:10:36 AM
Interesting. I like to believe I don't feel shame, however, I think it is more that I refuse to acknowledge it on some strange level.
Denying the existance of your shame doesnt magically make it go away. Im sure you could think of an example of shame in your interpersonal interaction, unless, you are a sociopath, and dont do certain things just out of fear of retribution, and not just because you have empathy for others.
Quote from: Xieante Antitheus on November 28, 2010, 05:10:36 AM
Seems to me like there is no point...
"Oopsie, I fucked up"...
Put on list of things not to do again.
Done.
Shame can be pre-emptive, the "Oops, I fucked up" can be more related to
guilt.
Quote from: Xieante Antitheus on November 28, 2010, 05:10:36 AM
So does this put me in the category of narcissist or animal???
Maybe just in the category of oppositional-defiant.
There ought to be some Godwin-type law referring to the use of the word sociopath in an argument.
I find the neutrality or permeability of these things fascinating. They're something we all share at some point, but we can often label them as faults or shortcomings. They're all variable, adaptable, fluid. Yet there lies a firmness in which we all have access to them at any time we please. Or not.
Quote from: Alty on November 28, 2010, 08:22:14 AM
There ought to be some Godwin-type law referring to the use of the word sociopath in an argument.
I thought Johnyx's use of the term was justified. I mean if you are talking about the evolution of emotions sociopathy is going to come up.
ETA:
Also, Xieante, if you don't feel shame, perhaps you are just too much of a morally good person, perhaps you should go and try stabbing a random stranger
Hm..on re-reading I think he was using a more general "you" than I first saw.
Sorry, Johnyx.
Lack of empathy is a basic characteristic of sociopaths, people dont exist in a manner differently as objects exist; in terms of their usefulness.
Quote from: Rumckle on November 28, 2010, 08:39:44 AM
ETA:
Also, Xieante, if you don't feel shame, perhaps you are just too much of a morally good person, perhaps you should go and try stabbing a random stranger
I don't think that's the case. Ethical, maybe. Morally good, eh, doubtful. I am a fairly self involved person, in the sense that I find most people useless. Someone that presents themselves to me as fairly intelligent, or those I care about are alright in my book, highly respected even, "Hey, how are you?" The average schmuck wondering about... For the most part I could care less. In the same respects due to less then normal situational bull shit I have been perpetually bombarded with over the last few years I'm almost always teetering on the edge of what one could call
'survival mode'. So, I guess that being the case, I answered my own question previously asked...
Quote from: Epimetheus on November 25, 2010, 09:13:59 AM
You may be thinking of the Pirahã (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirah%C3%A3_language#Numerals_and_grammatical_number). No doubt there are other peoples with similarly minimal vocabulary.
This is an incredibly common "conqueror" myth that has been pretty thoroughly debunked. Inability to count above three has been attributed to various "simple" people over the ages, and is basically total bullshit.
Quote from: Epimetheus on November 25, 2010, 07:17:31 PM
Okay. I'll post a list of things that are blue-colored, and then if you ask of what use it is, I'll tell you to figure it out yourself.
I mean, come on. You posted this list without explaining it at all. If you thought it had some use, why not say what that is?
People post lots of threads I don't get. And then, if it intrigues me, I read the posts by people who do get it, and I become more informed.
Try it, it's pretty cool.
Quote from: Requia ☣ on November 28, 2010, 02:41:18 AM
You do realize this list is *from* anthropologists right?
Notice I didn't say ALL ANTHROPOLOGISTS EVERYWHERE.
There are influential cultural anthropologists who do not like the idea of reductionism, preferring a post-modern stance. EO Wilson covered this in his book Consilience.
Quote from: ϗ on November 28, 2010, 07:49:01 PM
Notice I didn't say ALL ANTHROPOLOGISTS EVERYWHERE.
There are influential cultural anthropologists who do not like the idea of reductionism, preferring a post-modern stance. EO Wilson covered this in his book Consilience.
Quit ruining perfectly good pedantic nitpicking with your "facts"!
Quote from: Nigel on November 28, 2010, 07:51:54 PM
Quit ruining perfectly good pedantic nitpicking with your "facts"!
:lulz:
Quote from: Nigel on November 28, 2010, 07:02:00 PM
This is an incredibly common "conqueror" myth that has been pretty thoroughly debunked. Inability to count above three has been attributed to various "simple" people over the ages, and is basically total bullshit.
:cn:
(Tried to find such a controversy about the Pirahã. Didn't.)
Quote from: Epimetheus on November 29, 2010, 01:43:02 AM
:cn:
(Tried to find such a controversy about the Pirahã. Didn't.)
If you look hard enough, there's a page which suggests that it's not 'one, two, many' but a relativity based counting system.
I know there's other groups which have that. Eg, no 'left right' but using the river as the single direction reference point.
Quote from: Sigmatic on November 28, 2010, 07:15:29 AM
If you were to compile the list of all the universals that have to do with human language, then figure out what selective pressures caused them to evolve, you might figure out how to write a genetic algorithm that developed language learning abilities. Or at least have an idea where to start.
Nobody cared? I thought that was a good idea... :(
Quote from: Sigmatic on November 29, 2010, 07:36:03 AM
Nobody cared? I thought that was a good idea... :(
Didn't Chomsky try something similar?
I mean, before he wrote endless tracts denouncing US imperialism, and then in an endlessly self-referential circle, cited those tracts to re-denounce US imperialism every two weeks?
Yes, only I want to apply evolutionary cognitive neuroscience instead of linguistics and philosophy.
Quote from: Epimetheus on November 29, 2010, 01:43:02 AM
:cn:
(Tried to find such a controversy about the Pirahã. Didn't.)
What? :? Are you kidding me? What search strings did you use? I would suggest "Piraha hoax" or "Piraha controversy", for starters. Have fun, there's a lot of reading there.
Quote from: Cain on November 22, 2010, 01:57:08 PM
http://condor.depaul.edu/~mfiddler/hyphen/humunivers.htm
abstraction in speech & thought
actions under self-control distinguished from those not under control
aesthetics
affection expressed and felt
age grades
age statuses
age terms
ambivalence
anthropomorphization
anticipation
antonyms
attachment
baby talk
belief in supernatural/religion
beliefs, false
beliefs about death
beliefs about disease
beliefs about fortune and misfortune
binary cognitive distinctions
biological mother and social mother normally the same person
black (color term)
body adornment
childbirth customs
childcare
childhood fears
childhood fear of loud noises
childhood fear of strangers
choice making (choosing alternatives)
classification
classification of age
classification of behavioral propensities
classification of body parts
classification of colors
classification of fauna
classification of flora
classification of inner states
classification of kin
classification of sex
classification of space
classification of tools
classification of weather conditions
coalitions
collective identities
conflict
conflict, consultation to deal with
conflict, means of dealing with
conflict, mediation of
conjectural reasoning
containers
continua (ordering as cognitive pattern)
contrasting marked and nonmarked sememes (meaningful elements in language)
cooking
cooperation
cooperative labor
copulation normally conducted in privacy
corporate (perpetual) statuses
coyness display
critical learning periods
crying
cultural variability
culture
culture/nature distinction
customary greetings
daily routines
dance
death rituals
decision making
decision making, collective
differential valuations
directions, giving of
discrepancies between speech, thought, and action
dispersed groups
distinguishing right and wrong
diurnality
divination
division of labor
division of labor by age
division of labor by sex
dominance/submission
dreams
dream interpretation
economic inequalities
economic inequalities, consciousness of
emotions
empathy
entification (treating patterns and relations as things)
environment, adjustments to
envy
envy, symbolic means of coping with
ethnocentrism
etiquette
explanation
face (word for)
facial communication
facial expression of anger
facial expression of contempt
facial expression of disgust
facial expression of fear
facial expression of happiness
facial expression of surprise
facial expressions, masking/modifying of
fairness (equity), concept of
family (or household)
father and mother, separate kin terms for
fears
fear of death
fears, ability to overcome some
feasting
females do more direct childcare
figurative speech
fire
folklore
food preferences
food sharing
future, attempts to predict
generosity admired
gestures
gift giving
good and bad distinguished
gossip
government
grammar
group living
groups that are not based on family
habituation
hairstyles
hand (word for)
healing the sick (or attempting to)
hope
hospitality
husband older than wife on average
hygienic care
identity, collective
imagery
incest between mother and son unthinkable or tabooed
incest, prevention or avoidance
in-group distinguished from out-group(s)
in-group biases in favor of
inheritance rules
institutions (organized co-activities)
insulting
intention
interest in bioforms (living things or things that resemble them)
interpolation
interpreting behavior
intertwining (e.g., weaving)
jokes
judging others
kin, close distinguished from distant
kin groups
kin terms translatable by basic relations of procreation
kinship statuses
language
language employed to manipulate others
language employed to misinform or mislead
language is translatable
language not a simple reflection of reality
language, prestige from proficient use of
law (rights and obligations)
law (rules of membership)
leaders
lever
likes and dislikes
linguistic redundancy
logical notions
logical notion of "and"
logical notion of "equivalent"
logical notion of "general/particular"
logical notion of "not"
logical notion of "opposite"
logical notion of "part/whole"
logical notion of "same"
magic
magic to increase life
magic to sustain life
magic to win love
making comparisons
male and female and adult and child seen as having different natures
males dominate public/political realm
males engage in more coalitional violence
males more aggressive
males more prone to lethal violence
males more prone to theft
males, on average, travel greater distances over lifetime
manipulate social relations
marking at phonemic, syntactic, and lexical levels
marriage
materialism
meal times
mearning, most units of are non-universal
measuring
medicine
melody
memory
mental maps
mentalese
metaphor
metonym
mood- or consciousness-altering techniques and/or substances
moral sentiments
moral sentiments, limited effective range of
morphemes
mother normally has consort during child-rearing years
mourning
murder proscribed
music
music, children's
music related in part to dance
music related in part to religious activity
music seen as art (a creation)
music, vocal
music, vocal, includes speech forms
musical redundancy
musical reptition
musical variation
myths
narrative
nomenclature (perhaps the same as classification)
nonbodily decorative art
normal distinguished from abnormal states
nouns
numerals (counting)
Oedipus complex
oligarchy (de facto)
one (numeral)
onomatopoeia
overestimating objectivity of thought
pain
past/present/future
person, concept of
personal names
phonemes
phonemes defined by set of minimally constrasting features
phonemes, merging of
phonemes, range from 10 to 70 in number
phonemic change, inevitability of
phonemic change, rules of
phonemic system
planning
planning for future
play
play to perfect skills
poetry/rhetoric
poetic line, uniform length range
poetic lines characterized by repetition and variation
poetic lines demarcated by pauses
polysemy (one word has several meanings)
possessive, intimate
possessive, loose
practice to improve skills
precedence, concept of (that's how the leopard got its spots)
preference for own children and close kin (nepotism)
prestige inequalities
pretend play
pride
private inner life
promise
pronouns
pronouns, minimum two numbers
pronouns, minimum three persons
proper names
property
proverbs, sayings
proverbs, sayings - in mutually contradictory forms
psychological defense mechanisms
rape
rape proscribed
reciprocal exchanges (0f labor, goods, or services)
reciprocity, negative (revenge, retaliation)
regocnition of individuals by face
redress of wrongs
resistance to abuse of poser, to dominance
rhythm
right-handedness as population norm
risk-taking
rites of passage
rituals
role and personality seen in dynamic interrlationship (i.e., departures from role can be explained in terms of individual personality)
sanctions
sanctions fro crimes against the collectivity
sanctions include removal from the social unit
self-control
self distinguished from other
self as neither wholly passive nor wholly autonomous
self as subject and object
self-image, awareness of (concern for what others think)
self-image, manipulation of
self-image, wanted to be positive
self is responsible
semantics
semantic category of affecting things and people
semantic category of dimension
semantic category of giving
semantic category of location
semantic category of motion
semantic category of other physical properties
semantic components
semantic components, generation
semantic components, sex
sememes, commonly used ones are short, infrequently used ones are longer
senses unified
sex differences in spatial cognition and behavior
sex (gender) terminology is fundamentally binary
sex statuses
sexual attraction
sexual attractiveness
sexual jealousy
sexual modesty
sexual regulation
sexual regulation includes incest prevention
sexuality as focus of interest
shame
shelter
sickness and death seen as related
snakes, wariness around
social structure
socialization
socialization expected from senior kin
socialization includes toilet training
spear
special speech for special occasions
statuses and roles
statuses, ascribed and achieved
statuses distinguished from individuals
statuses on other than sex, age, or kinship bases
stinginess, disapproval of
stop/nonstop contrasts (in speech sounds)
succession
sucking wounds
sweets preferred
symbolism
symbolic speech
synesthetic metaphors
synonyms
taboos
tabooed foods
tabooed utterances
taxonomy
territoriality
thumb sucking
tickling
time
time, cyclicity of
tools
tool dependency
tool making
tools for cutting
tools to make tools
tools patterned culturally
tools, permament
tools for pounding
toys, playthings
trade
triangular awareness (assessinjg relationships among the self and two other people)
true and false distinguished)
turn-taking
two (numeral)
tying material (i.e., something like string)
units of time
verbs
violence, some forms of proscribed
visiting
vocalic/nonvocalic contrasts in phonemes
vowel contrasts
weaning
weapons
weather control (attempts to)
while (color term)
world view
You missed out "Making lists"
How very Terry Pratchett of you :D
Quote from: Sigmatic on November 29, 2010, 07:36:03 AM
Quote from: Sigmatic on November 28, 2010, 07:15:29 AM
If you were to compile the list of all the universals that have to do with human language, then figure out what selective pressures caused them to evolve, you might figure out how to write a genetic algorithm that developed language learning abilities. Or at least have an idea where to start.
Nobody cared? I thought that was a good idea... :(
Didn't read this until today.
While genetic algorithms are useful for exploring complicated possible-solution-spaces with non-analytically defined fitness functions, they are still just that.
In order for a GA to work, the fitness function needs to be relatively "smooth" over the defined possibilities, otherwise convergence is extremely slow or does not happen at all.
Also, it is often the case that a much simpler, less biology-inspired method yields much better results: Simulated Annealing. It's basically a GA with a population of one and a mutation rate that slowly cools off and selects the mutated solution with a probability proportional to the fitness function and cooling factor. (Roughly. Look it up on Wikipedia).
The point of this is that a mutation operator over a solution-space is usually easy enough to implement, but the cross-over and recombination operators are often much less intuitive. And if the latter don't really fit the shape of the problem, or do not make much sense (you need locality and a bunch of other statistically defined properties on the virtual genomes), Simulated Annealing is almost always a much more efficient approach to finding minima in a free-form fitness function.
The thing is, I had pretty much exactly the same idea while reading Pinker's
Language Instinct, but as I read on, meanwhile trying to work out the details of such an experiment, stuff became more and more complicated.
On the other hand, it's been a few years, maybe I should re-read the book and see if I get inspired again :)