April 19, 2016

April 19, 2016

Written by Maximus Peperkamp, M.S. Verbal Engineer

Dear Reader,

Let us explore the ideas of Emilio Ribes-Iñesta documented in “Human Behavior as Language: Some Thoughts on Wittgenstein” (2006).  He states “language is not limited to a psychological phenomenon, but rather it constitutes the dimensions under which human behavior develops and becomes meaningful.” Although my thoughts are quite similar to his, I make the distinction between Sound Verbal Behavior (SVB) and Noxious Verbal Behavior (NVB), which provides more context to interpret these words.  

We are bound to engage in NVB as long as our language remains “limited to a psychological phenomenon” and we are only able to engage in and explore SVB when we consider all “the dimensions under which human behavior develops and becomes meaningful.”  State differently, “language is not limited to” a psychological problem, which came about due to the circumstances “under which human behavior” couldn’t fully develop and become “meaningful.” It is a big mistake to equate language with NVB. 

Thus, when Ribes-Iñesta proposes “three dimensions of language relevant to human behavior: a) as a medium, b) as an instrument, and c) as a form of life”, he doesn’t realize that a more complete behavioral account of language requires another way of talking.  Moreover, like other behaviorists, he has written about these “relevant dimensions of human behavior,” because speaking about them was not (yet) possible. Speaking about language “a) as a medium, b) as an instrument, and c) as a form of life,” will only be possible if we know how to stop NVB and how to continue SVB.

The discrimination training that is need to be able to stop NVB and engage in SVB can’t be accomplished only by writing and reading and must involve speaking and listening.  Right now this is not part of the behaviorist curriculum. I propose such training which will make things clear which haven’t been able to become clear for the above mentioned reasons. The “traditional consideration” of language as “a special psychological or behavioral phenomenon, with a logical status similar to phenomena such as learning, memory and thinking,” will only be fully dissolved during SVB.