How Dare Thee Mr. Pinker!

Tyler Benson
Ms. Hughes
English 1101
27 August 2009

Mr. Pinker just contradicts himself left and right in his whole document, making statements that totally go against his whole opinion on his work. In his works Pinker discusses the topic of a mentally handicapped woman from the United Kingdom. She is mentally handicapped and unable to comprehend the idea of language, according to Pinker of course. He even points out how she is able to form sentences that come close to making perfect sense, and he claims that it is because of “instinct”. What a hack! Pinker completely ignores the issue that, if the woman was excluded from society, she would never be able to imitate words. Her culture and surroundings are what completely made her able to even use a small amount of language. Pinker has to realize that not everything is due to one part of the brain working; the culture is a major influence.
I, Dalrymple, find it just absolutely amazing how a man such as Pinker, with his vast amounts of education, can contradict himself so much. It’s clear to just about any human being on this planet that the man goes against his own beliefs. I find it obvious that if the British woman was on a small island she would only be able to make small moans just because of the waves as an example. She wouldn’t be able to form the words if she is never introduced to the language or the culture. Language can’t just come out of now where as my very good friend Pinker seems to believe. The brain must hear and understand the language in order to form the words, if the brain is never introduced to the words. How can it even form them? Yes, sounds can be formed in terms of moans and grunts such as the cavemen, but to truly grasp modern language culture must be present.
Pinker has to come to realize that he cannot constantly put language off on the biological and “instinct” aspects of humans. My statements on how culture and up bringing are the main reasons for language development must be considered. If Pinker wishes to get things right he needs to find me and take a little of my thoughts, then maybe I could respect the man even a small amount. His thoughts are not incorrect; don’t get me wrong, they are right to a degree. Then Dalrymple proudly takes over. Maybe someday Pinker and I could get together and actually piece together this whole language thing, of course I probably couldn’t stand the man.
Language sticks to “instinct” for only a small period of time. The woman had the instinct to start learning the sounds coming from other people, but it was the culture that launched it. Culture and up-bringing are a far bigger influence than that of “instinct” and biological ability.