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Major twentieth-century linguistic and philosophical traditions have assumed that language reflects rational, computational, disembodied aspects of the mind. Recent breakthroughs in a variety of disciplines (e.g.:
Linguistics,
Psychology, Anthropology, Computer Science, Evolutionary Biology), however, complicate this picture. Cognitive Linguists and Psychologists especially have called attention to the multiple and subtle ways in which the
human
body shapes the human mind, including even human rationality. Some of the most important evidence for the embodied mind comes from the study of language as a reflection of-among other things-imagination, metaphor and
categorization.
The theory of the embodied mind has serious ramifications for many of our most cherished beliefs about ourselves and as such it sends shock waves through diverse disciplines.
Approaching the issue from both
scholarly and
literary perspectives, this seminar course explores several ways in which language, like thought, is grounded in the body. Depending partially on the interests of the class, general theme areas will include several of
the
following: speech sounds, animal communication, gesture, metaphor, anatomical nomenclature, construals of space and time, signed languages and cognitive models of social power. We will draw on scholarly texts from
several
disciplines, including Linguistics, Psychology, Anthropology, Semiotics and Biology. No specialized preparation in any of these disciplines is required. Along the way, I will introduce basic concepts of Cognitive
Linguistics
that tie these disciplines together. The principal readings will include George Lakoff's WOMEN, FIRE AND DANGEROUS THINGS and Mark Turner's THE LITERARY MIND. Even as we work through the scholarly ideas we will consider
how
our developing theory of embodied language can inform our interpretation of literature and cinema. From Franz Kafka's METAMORPHOSIS to Charlie Kaufman's BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, we will pay special attention to characters
who
change their bodily shape in fantastic ways.
Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NONE Grading Mode: Student Option
Prerequisites: NONE
Last Updated on MAR-18-2003
Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459