Recursive cognition as a prelude to language

Abstract

Language is generally recognized as a uniquely human accomplishment. It is also commonly assumed that language evolved in a single step—a “great leap forward”—perhaps as recently as 50,000 years ago. This event (it is proposed) created the capacity for symbolic thought and a recursive structure that allows the generation of an unlimited number of propositional structures. Here, I outline a scenario more aligned with Darwinian theory. I argue that recursive thinking evolved as a prelude to language, in contexts unrelated to language itself. One example is mental time travel, whereby remembered past episodes or imagined future ones can be inserted into the mental present. Another is theory of mind, whereby we can understand the thoughts and beliefs of others and even understand that others understand our own thoughts and beliefs. Language then evolved as a means of sharing our mental time travels, thoughts, and beliefs with others. In this approach, the evolution of language can be understood in terms of Darwinian evolution as a stepwise process rather than the outcome of a single event.