Lexicon of Arguments

 

Colin Allen und Eric Saidel Die Evolution der Referenz in D. Perler/M. Wild (Hg.) Der Geist der Tiere, Frankfurt 2005

I 330
Feature/Property/Allen/Saidel: Question: when are the features of different species individual tokens of the same type of feature?
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I 331
The upper limbs of birds, bats, and dragonflies, for example, are all considered as wings, because they have the same functional role: they make the animals capable of flying.
Homology/Homoplasia: On the other hand, the considerable anatomical differences of the wings are decisive.
Language: Problem: it can have many different functions. Here, we must define the identity of a feature.
Problem: the choice of the feature is dependent on the interests. Of course, people can do things with their language that animals cannot.
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I 332
Likewise, e.g. hummingbirds can do things with their wings, which eagles cannot do with their wings. > Order,> identity,> difference.
They share a common feature despite the differences.
Language/Allen: one does not have to ask what it is, but what it does!