According to Puzzled monkeys reveal key language step:

The key cognitive step that allowed humans to become the only animals using language may have been identified, scientists say. A new study on monkeys found that while they are able to understand basic rules about word patterns, they are not able to follow more complex rules that underpin the crucial next stage of language structure. For example, the monkeys could master simple word structures, analogous to realising that "the" and "a" are always followed by another word. But they were unable to grasp phrase patterns analogous to "if... then..." constructions.

I was wondering what this says about the majority among us who cannot grasp “if…then…” constructions either, but there is considerable convincing evidence that there are factors which interferes with that ability (LOGIC MADE EASY). That means that reasoning ability must be developed. So we have two options: we can reintroduce genuine education, of which logic used to be a component, and improve the reasoning ability; or we can continue to substitute job training and socialization into conformity for education, and keep us close to our closest relatives. The problem is that the former path is mighty risky—it may make indoctrinating, fooling, controlling, manipulating and exploiting the public much harder.

All this validates my argument that educational failure is the root of both data management and societal problems (see The lost art of reasoned discourse — making a case for the ‘talking stick’) and that any notion that the former can be resolved independently of the latter is either illusion or delusion.

Posted 4/21/06

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