COGST 3500 - Interspecies Communication: Theories and Practices

(crosslisted) COML 3500 , FREN 3665
(ETM-AS, SBA-AS)

Fall. 3 credits. Student option grading.

L. Dubreuil.

This class proposes to rethink human language “uniqueness” thanks to an exploration of interspecies communication, connecting philosophy (through a focus on ancient Greek and French materials) with cognitive science, biology and experimental psychology. Mixing eras and texts, we’ll first consider the traditional theoretical framing about language in humans within the European tradition (reading for instance Democritus, Aristotle, Montaigne, Descartes, Buffon). From there, we’ll examine the theories and practices used in diverse 20th C. attempts to teach “language” to non-human species (apes, especially, but also dolphins and parrots). We will also reflect on the more recent lines of work on interspecific lexicons (among different monkey species for instance) or multispecies choruses in the wild—and signaling between humans and domesticated species, through multiple (sometimes technological) interfaces.