Pierre Jacob: What is so special about human social cognition?

Pierre Jacob, Institut Nicod

March 20, 2015
Location: Western University, 141 Talbot College

Start Time: 3:30 pm EST
End Time: 5:00 pm EST
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Abstract

I will argue for a three-tiered answer to the question.

(1) Only humans are able to track the contents of others’ false beliefs.

(2) Only humans are able to engage in ostensive cooperative communicative actions.

Since I assume that not all, but much, of the answer to the question is likely to come from the developmental investigation of the social cognitive capacities of preverbal human infants, I will argue that there is evidence that (1) and (2) are true of preverbal human infants.

Finally, I will argue for (3):

(3) The capacity to track the contents of others’ false beliefs derives from the demands of ostensive cooperative communication.