Philosophy Colloquia Series Features Everett

The Illinois State University Department of Philosophy Colloquia Series will feature Languages, Literatures and Cultures Chair Dan Everett on Wednesday, March 19, at 10 a.m. in 104A Turner Hall.  The presentation, “Is a Primitive Language an Inferior Language? Thoughts on the Nexus of Culture, Cognition and Communication,” is free and open to the public.

Everett is known for his study of the Amazon Basin’s Pirahã people and their language. He discovered a new language, the Oro Win language, and stirred academic controversy with his article “Cultural Constraints on Grammar and Cognition in Pirahã,” which was included in Current Anthropology.  Everett’s research interests focus on the interaction of culture and grammar, cognition and the philosophy of linguistics.