8 22 The Capacity for Language Acquisition" Eric H. Lenneberg ‘There isa tendency among social scientists to regard language as a wh and cultural phenomenon, an ingeniously devised instrument, purpos ‘duced to subserve social functions, that man may be that favor and, indeed, Formulating, , mechanism, and history of ic method to be employed here will be analogous to procedures em- soning of our argument may gain construction and by a review of the basic, modern principles evoked in current discussions of evolution faced with the problem of recor “An extended version of an article, writen while its author was Catee investiga Institute of Mental nd published underbb 580 Psychological Implications Jn geology we may trace cytes of elevation ofthe continent: subsequent leveling by erosion, followed by sedimentation at the bottom of be pregnant I to be better (On the otfier hand, purposive behavior may only be very indi fed to en Vironmental conditions and thus give the impression of completely spontancous the following way. We shall have good reasons to be- 3 verbal behavior in many import sign of cult in language are widely noted, the discussion will ‘cultural ones. Weiting (Carreno8 1 Intrespeces_yariations correlated with social organizations: “A umber of very Giferent successful writing. systems have coexisted. The geographical distribution systems follows cultural and groupings: cf. black bir of protruding social lines of demarcation. zygoma,) | Carron 2 No history within species: We cannot Only history within species: There are ‘lobe and throughout the predecessor of madern man. Of Ristory. The emergence of writ relatively recent event.