BRO CK HA U SSA MENRaritan Val le y Co m m u n ity Co lle g e , No r th B ran c h , Ne w Je rse y, U SA A n e g lec ted in¯u en ce o n h u m a n th in k i n g a b o u t d ea th a n d li fe a ft er d e a th is th e n a tu r e o f la n g u a g e its e lf. W h il e a ll la n g u a g e s p r o v id e la b e ls fo r d e a th , d y in g , a n d t h e d e a d , la n g u a g e a lso re in fo rc es o u r d e n i a l b y te n d i n g to p re s en t th e d e a d a s i f t h e y sti ll ex is ted . T h e se n t en ce Jo h n is d e ad n a m e s Jo h n n o d if fe re n tl y th a n w h e n h e w a s a liv e , a n d th e p r ed ic a tio n a b o u t h i m is in t h e p r e s en t te n s e. S u ch a n o ma lie s h a v e th ei r ro o t s i n th e ev o lu t io n o f th e co g n i tiv e s y st e m ev e n b e f o re h u m a n s s p o k e th e ir ® rs t w o rd s , b ec a u s e la n g u a g e is fu n d a m e n ta lly a n i n fo r m a tio n p ro ce ss o r th a t a id s th e s u r v iv a l o f t h e o r g a n i sm b y cla ss ify i n g a n d ch a ra cte r iz i n g i te m s i n th e e n v ir o n m e n t. T h u s, b ec a u se la n g u a g e d ea ls w ith th in g s t h a t e x ist a n d d e a ls w i th a ll th in g s a s if t h e y ex ist ed , it h a s p ro b a b ly s e r v e d a s o n e s o u rce fo r th e u n iv e r s a l te n d e n c y t o c o p e w i t h d e a t h a s i f t h e d e a d s t i ll e x i s t e d . W h i le w e c a n n o t c h a n g e th e b a s i c s y n t a x o f o u r s i m p le s e n te n ce s a b o u t th e d e a d , w e ca n c o n s i d e r w h et h e r o u r v o ca b u la r y i s s u f ® ci en t fo r u s t o b e a b le to n a m e th e v a ri o u s a s p ect s o f d y i n g th a t s e e m i m p o r t a n t . B r ie f s u g g e s t io n s a r e m a d e a b o u t co m p o n e n t s o f d e a t h a n d g ri ev in g th a t w e d o n o t h a v e th e w o rd s t o e x p r e ss e a s il y.In th e g rad u al d awn o f h u m an k n o wle d g e 100,000 o r so ye ars ag o , t h r e e o f t h e c h a n g e s t h a t t o o k p l a c e we r e a s f o l l o ws . H u m a n s , u n l ik e o t h e r a n im a l s, c a m e t o u n d e r st a n d t h a t t h e y d ie ; t h e y b e g an to b u r y th e d e ad . At th e sam e tim e , th e y re p re sse d th e fo rce o f th is k n o wle d g e ; th e d e ad b e cam e th e an ce sto rs, still ve r y m u ch a p art o f th e life o f th e clan . Fo r h u n tin g an d g ath e r in g H o m o s a p ie n s , d e at h was e sse n t ia ll y a c h a n g e o f f o r m . Fin al ly, in th is s am e d awn , lan g u ag e b lo o m e d . A d d r e ss c o r r e s p o n d e n c e to B ro c k H au ss am e n , Ra r ita n Va ll e y Co m m u n ity Co l le g e , P.O. B o x 330 0, So m e r ville , N J 088 76.
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BRO CK HA U SSA MENRaritan Val le y Co m m u n ity Co lle g e , No r th B ran c h , Ne w Je rse y, U SA A r t h u r Z u c k e r o b j e c t s t h a t I h a v e w r o n g ly i n s i s t e d t h a t p e o p l e b e l i e v e i n t h e a c tu a l e x i s te n ce o f a n y t h i n g th e y c a n ta lk a b o u t , a n d s o th e t h es i s th a t b e lie f in a n a f t er li fe i s b a se d o n ta lk i n g a b o u t t h e d ea d r e s ts o n a fa ls e a ss u m p t i o n . B u t m y v ie w i n t h e a r t ic le i s n o t s u ch a d e t er m i n i s t ic o n e , a n d I a g r e e w it h Z u c k e r t h a t ª la n g u a g e d o e s n o f o rc in g .º T h e o r d i n a r y w a y w e c a n ta lk a b o u t th e d e a d e n c o u r a g e s b u t d o e s n o t fo rce u s t o cr e d it t h e d e a d w it h re a lit y. O th e r p s y ch i c a n d s o ci a l f a c to r s w o u ld p la y a p a r t in s u ch a b e li e f.A d d r e ss c o r r e s p o n d e n c e to B ro c k H au ss am e n , Ra r ita n Va ll e y Co m m u n ity Co l le g e , P.O. B o x 330 0, So m e r ville , N J 088 76.
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