BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE AS A DRIVING FORCE OF LANGUAGE GLOTOGENESIS

Abstract

The paper explores current research in the field of neurophysiology, anthropology, psychology, providing arguments refuting the position that socialization served as a driving force for human cognitive development. According to the latest data from anthropocentric sciences, the foundation for mental improvement, in particular, such a structure as communication was exclusively physiological processes and biological needs. Thus, B. F. Porshnev’s physiological theory of the language origin is analyzed. The historian and anthropologist based his arguments on the postulates of physiologists I. P. Pavlov and A. A. Ukhtomsky; the scientist identifies and substantiates a new structure – interdiction, manifested in the interaction of the inhibitory dominant with the imitation. The interdiction became the physiological basis of not only animal non-verbal communication, but also a human language. It has been found that the phenomenon of imitation, which is observed among representatives of fauna and in the evolutionary processes of primitive people and is still successfully used for training and adaptation of infants, especially at the early development stages, together with inhibitory dominant activate interdiction and determine the emergence and development of speech processes. Physiological needs for food, warmth, and safety play an active role in a person’s cognitive improvement during the humankind ontogenesis. In the course of primitive civilization development B. F. Porshnev singled out three important periods, which were marked by the survival of protohumans that were able to adapt to the new living conditions, types of food, and thus move to a new progressive stage of physiological and mental development. B. F. Porshnev’s theory is confirmed by the neurophysiologist J. Rizzolatti’s and philosopher K. Sinigalia’s discovery of the “mirror neurons” in the brains of some animals and human beings, which are responsible for imitative processes in the body and contribute to speech learning. The work examines the influence of orofacial, orolaryngal and brachiomunal gestural communication on the formation and evolution of human verbal communication. As a result, according to the analysis of the works related to linguistics sciences, convincing facts have been found confirming the physiological basis of humanity cognitive development, in particular, the linguistic aspect.