Numbers, Language, and the Human Mind

ISBN-13: 9780521831826 / Angielski / Twarda / 2003 / 360 str.

Heike Wiese

Opis

What constitutes our concept of numbers and makes it possible for us to work with them the way we do? Which mental faculties contribute to our grasp? What qualities do we share with other species, and which ones are specific to us? This book addresses these questions to reveal that language plays a crucial role in the development of systematic number concepts. It analyzes the relationship between numerical thinking and the human language faculty, providing psychological, linguistic, and philosophical perspectives on numbers, their evolution, and development in children.

Recenzje

'This book is sure to become a classic in its field. … it provides an impressive synthesis of findings and leading ideas across multiple fields, including the philosophy of mathematics … an invaluable reference work for virtually anyone interested in 'exploring the distinctive way in which numerical cognition is intertwined with the human language faculty. … W's rich and impressive work is going to be essential reading for many years to come.' Language

Spis treści

Introduction; 1. Numbers and objects; 2. What does it mean to be a number?; 3. Can words be numbers?; 4. The language legacy; 5. Children's route to number: from iconic representations to numerical thinking; 6. The organisation of our cognitive number domain; 7. Non-verbal number systems; 8. Numbers in language: the grammatical integration of numerical tools; Appendix.