Stories may come first, but they don't come alone
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Abstract
Abstract: I critically engage with Francesco Ferretti’s hypothesis that narratives are the primary evolutionary driver of human language. Ferretti argues that language evolved from gestural storytelling used for persuasion, positioning narrative as prior to and independent of propositional structures. While I acknowledge the merits of this approach and its contrast with the Chomskyan model, I question the theoretical clarity of the concept of “narrative” and its supposed universal persuasive function. I also doubt that pantomimed stories could have played such a central evolutionary role. Instead, I propose a “mosaic” view of language evolution, in which multiple interacting factors – cognitive, social, and biological – contributed gradually and non-linearly to the emergence of language. I conclude that Ferretti’s narrative-centred model, though suggestive, is overly reductive and underestimates the complex, multifactorial nature of language development.
Keywords: Narrative; Language Evolution; Persuasion; Mosaic Model; Cognitive Development
Le narrazioni possono venire per prime, ma non da sole
Riassunto: In questo breve commento analizzo criticamente l’ipotesi di Francesco Ferretti secondo cui la narrazione sarebbe stata il principale motore evolutivo del linguaggio umano. Ferretti sostiene che il linguaggio ha origine da storie gestuali a scopo persuasivo, attribuendo alla narrazione un ruolo originario e autonomo rispetto alle strutture proposizionali. Pur apprezzando il distacco dal modello chomskiano, sollevo dubbi sulla chiarezza teorica della nozione di “narrazione” e sulla sua presunta funzione persuasiva universale. Contesto inoltre l’efficacia evolutiva attribuita alla pantomima. In alternativa, propongo una visione “mosaicista” dell’evoluzione del linguaggio, secondo cui il linguaggio è un fenomeno complesso emerso dall’interazione graduale di molteplici fattori cognitivi, sociali e biologici. Concludo sostenendo che il modello narrativo di Ferretti, per quanto stimolante, risulti riduttivo e non sufficientemente fondato per rendere conto della complessità del linguaggio umano.
Parole chiave: Narrazione; Evoluzione del linguaggio; Pantomima; Modello mosaicista; Comunicazione persuasiva
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