语言中的递归运算能力是人类独有的吗？——基于近二十年的文献回顾

Is the Ability of Recursively Computing in Language Unique to Humans?—Based on a Review of Literature Spanning Nearly Two Decades

摘要: 为什么只有人类具有“语言”能力，而其它动物(即使是与我们最相近的黑猩猩)只具备简单的“交流”能力？这一问题困扰并驱使着语言学家、认知神经科学家等不同领域学者提出不同的假设和猜想，并在近二十年里力图通过实证方式验证其猜想，其中Hauser等人2002年提出的假设得到了最多的关注，他们认为人类语言区别于动物交流的本质在于是否能在语言系统中进行递归运算。本文总结近二十年理论、实证研究结果，首先定义什么是“语言”和什么是语言系统中的“递归”，并在此基础上回顾总结语言中的“递归运算”能力是否是人类独有的，并为后续的实证研究提供研究思路。

Abstract: Why do humans uniquely possess “language”, while other animals (even our closest relatives, chimpanzees) are limited to simple forms of “communication”? This question has puzzled and inspired scholars from various disciplines, including linguistics and cognitive neuroscience, to propose diverse hypotheses and conjectures. Over the past two decades, researchers have endeavored to test these ideas through empirical methods. Among these, the hypothesis put forward by Hauser et al. in 2002 has garnered the most attention. They argued that the essence of human language, distinguishing it from animal communication, lies in the capacity for recursively computing elements within the language system. This article synthesizes theoretical and empirical research findings from the past twenty years, first defining what is “language” and what is “recursion” in language systems, and then addressing whether the capacity for “recursion” in language is unique to humans. At last, I offer insights and directions for future empirical research.