Apes, language and the human mind (original) (raw)

Programs investigating ape communication, particularly the case of Kanzi the bonobo, face skepticism regarding their validity as evidence of language in non-human species. The authors, including Savage-Rumbaugh, Shanker, and Taylor, argue that standard scientific perspectives hinder a proper appreciation of Kanzi's linguistic abilities, which challenge the traditional view of language acquisition. They contend that Kanzi's linguistic capabilities parallel those of a young child, questioning the necessity of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) theory in understanding human language and asserting that current explanations about language acquisition are fundamentally flawed.