Human representation

[Cyrus the Great]

I would appreciate very much, if you could explain this term human representation, as well as give me an example as to the term, so that I could get it well.


A .symbol is a sign that stands for its referent in an arbitrary, conventional way. Most semioticians agree that symbolicity is what sets human representation apart from that of all other species, allow* ing the human species to reflect upon the world separately from stimulus-response situations.

And, I can not get what the following means, well.


what sets human representation apart from that of all other species, allow* ing the human species to reflect upon the world separately from stimulus-response situations.

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

I would appreciate very much, if you could explain this term human representation, as well as give me an example as to the term, so that I could get it well. -- A .symbol is a sign that stands for its referent in an arbitrary, conventional way. Most semioticians agree that symbolicity is what sets human representation apart from that of all other species, allow* ing the human species to reflect upon the world separately from stimulus-response situations. -- And, I can not get what the following means, well. -- what sets human representation apart from that of all other species, allow* ing the human species to reflect upon the world separately from stimulus-response situations.

You already posted this question on the Linguistics subforum, and you have received two answers.

Please do NOT post the same item in two different places!

--Fraggle Rocker
Moderator, Linguistics

 

[wellwisher]

We have two sides of the brain, left and right hemispheres, with each side processing data differently. The left side is more differential, while the right side is integral and spatial. Like in calculus, differentiation finds the slope at a point on the curve; distinct, while integration is the area under the curve. These are two different ways to process the equations that define reality. If we go back to sign and symbol, the sign is specific therefore it is done in the left brain and is associated with language processing which is left brained. A symbol is different in that it is processed in both sides of the brain, with the difference of processing styles in each side, causing movement back and forth for the representation process.

For example, the statue of liberty is a statue in New York City. This is a specific thing or sign; differential left brain. But this particular statue is more than just a statue, since it represents the abstract concept of liberty which is harder to fully define. There is a right brain component to this symbol, that has more of a spatial or open characteristic. The corpus colosseum connects the two hemispheres and shuttles data between them, with representations appearing.

The difference between humans and animals is connected to personality firmware, which influence the representation. Only humans have the right firmware needed to generate the merging process that we call representation. The animal brain will do a similar two hemisphere process, but its firmware will only carry out this process in the context of its instincts; satisfy the spatial need of instinct. For example, if the animals finds crappy food, this is a unique thing. The bigger spatial picture of the hunger instinct may decide not to eat since it feels full and better food is out there. If the animal is starving, the 3-D instinct adds up differently, so it will eat. There is no unique representation for all situations. The firmware you need is connected to something that is different from the instinct, so the representation is not variable and situational to the context of the firmware.

 

[origin]

We have two sides of the brain, left and right hemispheres, with each side processing data differently. The left side is more differential, while the right side is integral and spatial. Like in calculus, differentiation finds the slope at a point on the curve; distinct, while integration is the area under the curve. These are two different ways to process the equations that define reality. If we go back to sign and symbol, the sign is specific therefore it is done in the left brain and is associated with language processing which is left brained. A symbol is different in that it is processed in both sides of the brain, with the difference of processing styles in each side, causing movement back and forth for the representation process.

For example, the statue of liberty is a statue in New York City. This is a specific thing or sign; differential left brain. But this particular statue is more than just a statue, since it represents the abstract concept of liberty which is harder to fully define. There is a right brain component to this symbol, that has more of a spatial or open characteristic. The corpus colosseum connects the two hemispheres and shuttles data between them, with representations appearing.

The difference between humans and animals is connected to personality firmware, which influence the representation. Only humans have the right firmware needed to generate the merging process that we call representation. The animal brain will do a similar two hemisphere process, but its firmware will only carry out this process in the context of its instincts; satisfy the spatial need of instinct. For example, if the animals finds crappy food, this is a unique thing. The bigger spatial picture of the hunger instinct may decide not to eat since it feels full and better food is out there. If the animal is starving, the 3-D instinct adds up differently, so it will eat. There is no unique representation for all situations. The firmware you need is connected to something that is different from the instinct, so the representation is not variable and situational to the context of the firmware.

This whole post is almost entirely a rehash an urban legend.

 

[sculptor]

We have two sides of the brain, left and right hemispheres, with each side processing data differently. The left side is more differential, while the right side is integral and spatial. Like in calculus, differentiation finds the slope at a point on the curve; distinct, while integration is the area under the curve. These are two different ways to process the equations that define reality. If we go back to sign and symbol, the sign is specific therefore it is done in the left brain and is associated with language processing which is left brained. A symbol is different in that it is processed in both sides of the brain, with the difference of processing styles in each side, causing movement back and forth for the representation process.

For example, the statue of liberty is a statue in New York City. This is a specific thing or sign; differential left brain. But this particular statue is more than just a statue, since it represents the abstract concept of liberty which is harder to fully define. There is a right brain component to this symbol, that has more of a spatial or open characteristic. The corpus colosseum connects the two hemispheres and shuttles data between them, with representations appearing.
.

Circa late 70s in psych classes, it was argued that the corpus callosum was more robust and dynamic in women, leading them to process data differently than men .
Much work has been done since then. Does the argued position still seem accurate?

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

We have two sides of the brain, left and right hemispheres, with each side processing data differently. The left side is more differential, while the right side is integral and spatial.

In the cetaceans (dolphins and whales), only one hemisphere sleeps at a time, otherwise the animal would drown. This means that for a significant portion of every day, his decisions and activities are controlled exclusively by one hemisphere--and later on, by the other.

If the hemispheres are truly as different as hypothesized, how would this affect his behavior? Furthermore, does the brain have to spend a significant amount of time reintegrating the experiences of the waking hemisphere into the one that was asleep?

Are the dreams of one hemisphere qualitatively different from the other?

 

[sculptor]

In the cetaceans (dolphins and whales), only one hemisphere sleeps at a time, otherwise the animal would drown. This means that for a significant portion of every day, his decisions and activities are controlled exclusively by one hemisphere--and later on, by the other.

If the hemispheres are truly as different as hypothesized, how would this affect his behavior? Furthermore, does the brain have to spend a significant amount of time reintegrating the experiences of the waking hemisphere into the one that was asleep?

Are the dreams of one hemisphere qualitatively different from the other?

If memory serves, the skeletal muscles nerves are disconnected during dreaming...
and
The connection between the 2 hemispheres---the corpus collosum--- is relatively much smaller in cetaceans than in land mammals who have the corpus collosum.

Darned handy for violent cetacean dreams?

Good question about dreaming!