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Now, this isn't to say that language doesn't communicate information, but as Sloterdijk puts it, that is not the primary function. In other words, the more fundamental advantage of language use is to establish that framework of mutual recognition. And perhaps, the argument for this, from the evolutionary standpoint would be that you know, animals that vocalize typically do it to recognize one another. That's primarily what the birds are doing. It's usually at a later point of complexity when vocalizing organisms begin to communicate information.
...I don't know that Sloterdijk would quite put the argument like this, but we might say it's the most natural use of language. So, even though our use of language is far more complex than say, the language of birds or bonobos, the fundamental meaning of language, for us too, is still to exalt ourselves. To recognize ourselves, celebrate ourselves and the group that we are in. Quote, "For the most part, people are not concerned to draw each other's attention to states of affairs, but instead to incorporate states of affairs into a glory. The different speaker groups of History, all the various tribes and peoples, are self-praising entities that avail themselves of their own inimitable idiom as part of a psychological content played to gain advantage for themselves. In this sense, before it becomes technical, all speaking serves to enhance and venerate the speaker. And even technical discourses are committed, albeit indirectly, to glorifying techniques," end quote.
Violating the Pauline Inversion of Morality?
...unless to praise Meher Baba!
...the Silent Avatar
Who refused to exalt himself!
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