April 29, 2016

April 29, 2016

Written by Maximus Peperkamp, M.S. Verbal Engineer

Dear Reader,

In “Human Behavior as Language: Some Thoughts on Wittgenstein” (2006)   Ribes-Iñesta proposes” a psychological conception about behavior as

the practical content of language games.” He urges his readers that “no distinction is to be made between verbal and non-verbal behavior, or between linguistic and non-linguistic behavior.” He is against these distinctions as they “isolate behaviors in terms of their morphology, segregating interactive patterns whose components lack functional significance by themselves.” Although he doesn’t mention it, this remark is not true for the SVB/NVB distinction. The “interactive patterns” that make up SVB and NVB are full of “functional significance.” One would have to talk to explore this distinction. If one did that, one would realize how absolutely necessary it is to “isolate behaviors in terms of their morphology.” Without this distinction we remain deaf to the essence of language: how we sound. 

One scholar responds to another – in writing! Ribes-Iñesta states that “Words, movements, and reactions to events never take place separately. Words and expressions become meaningful only when integrated in actions in the form of episodes taking place in a given situation.” SVB and NVB are response classes in which specific “words, movements, and reactions” take place. What happens during SVB doesn’t happen during NVB or vice versa.   The fact that these response classes exist in every population should give us pause to ponder their tremendous significance. According to Ribes-Iñesta,“language is conceived threefold: 1) As a collection of varied contingency systems, providing the medium where behavior is significant. 2) As an acquired reactional system that allows the individual to interact with other individuals and social meaningful objects and events, and 3) As the social device through which individuals may construct new contingency systems affecting the functions attributed to objects, events and behaviors.” Note here, not a word is said in this construal of language about how we sound. In his, but also in Wittgenstein’s explanation, we all lose our voice. It is there when we interact, but we only interact in SVB. In NVB, we don’t interact as the speaker ignores his or her sound and how he or she affects the listener.