Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-01-17
TEA CHING ASIMALsLshGUAdE.

The difficulty Lying Probably In
Teaching the Distinction in NUM-
ber.
Ia 1t not quite conceivable that some Of
the lower animals might be taught to use
human language nationally 7 No doubt
the reasons for q first hasty answer in the
affirmative would be that the auimals
seem 30 intelligent as sometimes even to
ressOp, and that they have, in fact, often
had human words put into their mouths,
| and that they seem sometimes to have
| language among themselves. Yet, after
| all, cannot their intelligence, and even
wisdom ano occasional apparent rssson-
| ing be satisfactorily explained without
| attributing to them true reasoning, rs the
| result of hundreds or thousands OF gen
| erations Of experience and transmitted
memory, by which certain objects or
actions become associated with a feeling
OF pleasure or pain that induces pursuit
OF avoidance How few, indeed, are the
cases that cannot readily Ia 80 explained,
where an animal appears at first sight to
exercise reasoning power, and how ex-
tremely simple The effort seems then TO bel
Tru4 reasNning can s.wayf bs reduced
to ths -yllCgis.ic t0rm, ia effect a state
ment that what Ia true Of 8 cldss is true
of something in that class. In oraer
then, TO reason, properly speaking, it is
necessary to use general term Ga word
or sign with the meaning OF a common
nouD) to INDICATE the class; and, as VT
do not know OF any evidence that brutes
have such words or signs, we have nc
proof that they eau reason. In like
manner the lack OF evidence that til ey
can reason goes far towards showing that
they have 40 language that includes
such general terms, though it may b,
true that they sometimes understand
words in a singular (not generaD sense
aud have similar expressions for thei
| own feelings.
T The question, then ia whether brute
1 may not be taught the intelligent use o
+ general words or common nouns, whici
a would enable them to reason. AS tn
8 step does not seem go very enormou
II from the uudeniable intelligence Of som
II brutes to the lowest form of gsneraliza
y tion, 1T is perhaps worth while to conside
how they might be possibly taught t
A take the step in hope that having ono
"a taken it, they might be led farther wit
,r still greater ease. Since the idea of plu
A rality appears TO lie at the very bottoi
Ia of the idea of class, number would b
- perhaps the first aud simplet
i. step in generalizing-number, tina
"a is, the regarding things merely &
n individuals or units. Il is a step beyond
" to regard things as alike in more compile
respects. II that il 20, the frat effo
might be made to teach how to coun
20 and, OF course, at the beginning only
w count up to two. II that can be sccou
y plished, still further counting can III
=, questionably be taught, and no doubt
o. o. degrees much greater amount OF genera
ization and reason itself. Does 1t see
~ impossible that brute may learn to ass
=. oiate invariably the word lone" with
~ single object, aud "two'' with
W pair of objects, no matter OF VIII
10 kind At frat the two obsc
should always be two like ones
II. hut by degrees a difference ia the
81 might be allowed. The teaching of col
: mou names might next be taken up; or
al might he begun elong with the countin
~ but without the confusing addition
: any plural termination. Even if Il
q mere counting up TO two could not
gu taught successfully to any single inc
ny vidusl brute, yet the end might nevt
M ~ thelsss be attained, perhaps, in sever
iei generations.
oi The question then comes, with VII
Is animal would it be best TO begin such e
i"e Observation-Disclosures with monkeys
elephants, or birds, or auts OF cour
ok articulation is not essential, for la
III gusge OF signs might be devised suits.
ere to the snimsl-a language correspond
f. to the deaf aud dumb one OF signs, or
lds one using the Morse alphabet, or son
ng thing like it. Elephants are very int
=" lgent, but so very long lived that
.nt would take ages to observe the effect
icy training through many successive gen,
lire atoms. Perhaps the eonveniet u of ,
he cellent articulation and rapid propagate
Iih- both combined with apparently good
vas telligenoe, might give the preference,
to the whole, to talking bird, such as
Indian mynah.