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Article 1445 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: map@svl.cdc.com (Mark Peters)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Animal Intelligence vs Human Intelligence
Message-ID: <38102@shamash.cdc.com>
Date: 20 Nov 91 19:52:07 GMT
References: <38039@shamash.cdc.com> <1991Nov19.000813.26477@spss.com> <38079@shamash.cdc.com> <6194@dutrun2.tudelft.nl>
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In <6194@dutrun2.tudelft.nl> winfstu@dutrun2.tudelft.nl (Sylvia Stuurman) writes:

>In article <38079@shamash.cdc.com> map@svl.cdc.com writes:
>>[That perceptual development must precede conceptual]      

>Even a new-born baby discerns a human face from anything else:
>when there is a human face available to look at, they will
>look much longer to it than to any other object.

>So I think your concept of first reaching the perceptual level,
>then the conceptual level is far to primitive to describe
>the learning of human beings (and other animals).

If so, then all it means is that some perceptual ability
is "wired in," so that experience is not needed for all
perception.

This doesn't change the fact that perceptual development
*does* happen after birth, or the fact that such development
is a prerequisite of entering the conceptual realm.  A person
who cannot perceive also cannot form or use concepts.  Look
at how tough it was for Helen Keller, despite the fact that
she had the "advantage" of spending her first couple years
of life with normally functioning sense organs.
--
Mark A. Peters                              ****** ======================
Control Data Corporation                    ****** == "What a save!!!" ==
Internet: map@svl.cdc.com                   ****** == "What an idea!!" ==


