Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 13:35:01 -0800 From: "Gary B. Palmer" Subject: Logic, experiential basis Sender: owner-linganth@cc.rochester.edu To: linganth@cc.rochester.edu, gbp@pioneer.nevada.edu Precedence: bulk Hi All,
I came in late on this logic thread, but what I have seenregarding the search for some underlying common logic thatenables interpretation between otherwise incommensuratelanguacultures suggests that the correspondents have notbeen reading cognitive linguists and philosophers.

In *The Body in the Mind* (Chicago, 1987:38-9), Mark Johnsonwrote of "possible experiential bases for some logicalconnectives and inferential structures". He continues,"In particular, I want to suggest that image schemataconstrain inferences (and thus reasoning) in certain basicand important ways. They can do this because they havedefinite internal structure that can be figurativelyextended to structure our understanding of formal relationsamong concepts and propositions."

In Lakoff and Johnson's framework, image schemata "emerge"from recurrent physical experiences, many of which areuniversal. These include the experiences of occupyingbodies that have weight, dorso-ventral orientation,and lateral symmetry and function as containers.

It is probably important to keep in mind that Johnsonappears to accept Neisser's view that schemas are plans,expectations, and patterns of action and not simplystatic images. (pp. 20-21)
---------------------------------------------------- Gary B. Palmer Department of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies (5003) University of Nevada, Las Vegas 89154 fax: 702-895-4823, phone: 702-895-3379 http://www.nevada.edu/home/6/gbp ---------------------------------------------------- Go Forward to Aaron's Response