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From: curry@hpl.hp.com (Bo Curry)
Subject: Re: What's innate? (Was Re: Artificial Neural Networks and Cognition
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Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 19:45:40 GMT
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: In <D3n9IJ.GBz@hpl.hp.com> curry@hpl.hp.com (Bo Curry) writes:
: >But the important point about the Universal Grammar is that it is
: >*universal*. This is an observation. If Arabian nomads learned
: >White Christmas myths at an early age, then we might well begin
: >to suspect genetic influences.

Neil Rickert (rickert@cs.niu.edu) wrote:
: It appears to be a near universal property that people use one hand
: to pick up a glass of water (or soda).  Is this innate, or is it
: simply that they learn that it is easier not to spill the drink when
: one hand is used?

: <etc>

: Universality does not imply innateness.

This is true. But to complete a functionalist argument such
as it seems you're trying to make, you have to postulate
some mechanism or physical constraint. This has not been
forthcoming.

Bo
