random samplings of a restless mind scanning life's canopy
Fascinating story, isn't it? So who says religion—belief in the supernatural, or an afterlife, and all the baggage that comes with it— is universal among all human cultures? Or war, for that matter? And how many missionaries are / have ever been open enough to recognize who really needs saving? How many more original cultures could have been saved/left to themselves if only more missionaries were open-minded like this man?
Not only did the Pirahã lead Daniel Everett to question the need for religion, his study of their language also leads him to question Chomsky's concept of Universal Grammar in the evolution of human language. Taking down god and Chomsky at the same time? How rare a feat is that? And how wonderful the variability of human culture? Not being an anthropologist or a linguist, I can scarcely offer any further insight into, let alone critique of, these controversial notions, but I am definitely intrigued and will have to read up on them, starting perhaps with Everett's book Don't Sleep, There are Snakes recounting his experiences living among and learning from the Pirahã. That story should definitely make for a fascinating read, regardless of whether the claims about a language without the universal grammar really hold up.
Read more about the work of Daniel Everett (currently Dean of Arts and Sciences at Bentley University) on his old web page at Illinios State University, and through his wikipedia entry.
[Tip o' the old hat to Andrew Jones who alerted me to this video.]
I'm a reconciliation ecologist studying the responses of wildlife to human influences through an evolutionary lens. I seek ways to apply evolutionary ecology towards reconciling biodiversity conservation with human development. Also a father of two girls; photographer; birdwatcher; bookworm; cinephile; and explorer of the internets.
I'm a reconciliation ecologist studying the responses of wildlife to human influences through an evolutionary lens. I seek ways to apply evolutionary ecology towards reconciling biodiversity conservation with human development. Also a father of two girls; photographer; birdwatcher; bookworm; cinephile; and explorer of the internets.
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