Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 322 | Philip Pettit on Language, Agency, Politics, and Freedom
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Jul 21, 2025 Philip Pettit, a distinguished philosopher from Princeton University, delves into the intricate connections between language, agency, and societal structures. He argues that our unique human capacities stem from social interactions enabled by language. The conversation includes the evolution of language from animal communication, the essence of freedom as social empowerment, and the interplay between moral responsibility and communication. Pettit also reflects on pivotal political changes, such as the introduction of gay marriage in Spain, showcasing the role of empathy in shifting societal norms.
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Thinking as Internalized Social Practice
- Philip Pettit argues human mental activity is internalized social practice learned first through conversation and social interaction.
- Thinking arises from treating oneself as an interlocutor, mirroring social practices of questioning and answering.
Language as Unified Communication System
- Language combines intentional communication seen in chimpanzees with informational signals found in other animals.
- Human language evolves by uniting these functions into a system allowing complex, intentional information exchange.
Language Enables Internal Thinking
- Through language, humanoids develop a practice of intentional questioning and answering that benefits both giver and receiver.
- This practice leads to internal 'self-dialogue,' effectively the emergence of thinking as an intentional mental effort.
