Lawrence Krader’s Legacy in Science, History and Philosophy Against Nativist Language Concepts

The volume features Krader’s linguistic writings, showcasing the intricacies of human language, intentionality and meaning-making by contrasting it with animal communication and with artificial intelligence, thereby highlighting the cultural diversity and poietic creativity of language(s) while rebutting nativist language concepts and biolinguistics. Dive into the pioneering work of Lawrence Krader (1919–1998), the trailblazing American ethnologist and philosopher, who challenged conventional linguistics with unparalleled fervor. This edited volume unveils Krader’s unpublished manuscripts and essays in linguistics and semantics, where he critiques innate language theories, universal grammar, and biolinguistics championed by Chomsky and others. Krader’s comparative exploration of human language and animal communication illuminates the intricacies of the human use of symbols and intentionality. He highlights the uniqueness of speech by contrasting the dynamic duality of social interactions with mechanistic computerized languages and artificial intelligence. Finally, Krader presents captivating etymological and semantic interpretations of famed works by Shakespeare and Goethe that emphasize the creativity and inventive nature of the human mind in meaning-making. This volume will appeal to all those interested in Lawrence Krader’s life and work, as well as researchers and students working on linguistics and semantics.