Abstract
Far from being a universal of the human mind, classical botanical and zoological folk taxonomies, which are based on general morphology and organized in a tree diagram, might be nothing more than a simple contextual choice in lowland South America. In words and deeds, the Ucayali Asheninka (Arawak) do not give priority to such taxonomies over other groupings, which the traditional ethnosciences usually over-look or see as being of secondary importance. When analyzed, this attitude turns out to be fully coherent with their animistic ontology, which is a more fundamental value than a mere cosmological discourse. It not only permeates all of the everyday organization of living beings, but it also seems to shape habits of perception, which cannot be reduced to our own. This is so true that, under the hypothesis of the universality of a modular human mind, we must inquire into the possibility of culture reorienting certain cognitive modules.
| Original language | French |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 113-140 |
| Number of pages | 28 |
| Journal | Homme |
| Issue number | 179 |
| State | Published - Jul 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Animistic ontology
- Cognitive modules
- Cognitive sciences
- Ethnoscience
- Universalism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anthropology
Cite this
Ontologie animique, ethnosciences et universalisme cognitif : Le regard ashéninka. / Lenaerts, Marc E.
In: Homme, No. 179, 07.2006, p. 113-140.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Ontologie animique, ethnosciences et universalisme cognitif
T2 - Le regard ashéninka
AU - Lenaerts, Marc E
PY - 2006/7
Y1 - 2006/7
N2 - Far from being a universal of the human mind, classical botanical and zoological folk taxonomies, which are based on general morphology and organized in a tree diagram, might be nothing more than a simple contextual choice in lowland South America. In words and deeds, the Ucayali Asheninka (Arawak) do not give priority to such taxonomies over other groupings, which the traditional ethnosciences usually over-look or see as being of secondary importance. When analyzed, this attitude turns out to be fully coherent with their animistic ontology, which is a more fundamental value than a mere cosmological discourse. It not only permeates all of the everyday organization of living beings, but it also seems to shape habits of perception, which cannot be reduced to our own. This is so true that, under the hypothesis of the universality of a modular human mind, we must inquire into the possibility of culture reorienting certain cognitive modules.
AB - Far from being a universal of the human mind, classical botanical and zoological folk taxonomies, which are based on general morphology and organized in a tree diagram, might be nothing more than a simple contextual choice in lowland South America. In words and deeds, the Ucayali Asheninka (Arawak) do not give priority to such taxonomies over other groupings, which the traditional ethnosciences usually over-look or see as being of secondary importance. When analyzed, this attitude turns out to be fully coherent with their animistic ontology, which is a more fundamental value than a mere cosmological discourse. It not only permeates all of the everyday organization of living beings, but it also seems to shape habits of perception, which cannot be reduced to our own. This is so true that, under the hypothesis of the universality of a modular human mind, we must inquire into the possibility of culture reorienting certain cognitive modules.
KW - Animistic ontology
KW - Cognitive modules
KW - Cognitive sciences
KW - Ethnoscience
KW - Universalism
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33746035664&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33746035664
SP - 113
EP - 140
JO - Homme
JF - Homme
SN - 0439-4216
IS - 179
ER -