The concept of language is an elusive one, and the concept of mind even more so. Still the relation between them is of current interest in many quarters. The purpose of the Nobel Symposium on language and mind was to establish a forum for the discussion of this fundamental relation in a creative perspective. Representatives of several fields of knowledge, arts, and research gathered in an interdisciplinary setting, focusing on five aspects: literature, general linguistics, psycholinguistics, neurology, and artificial intelligence.
Part 1 Literature: a cat's meow, J. Brodsky; a mouse's defence -
discussion of Joseph Brodsky's paper "A Cat's Meow", K. Espmark; Montrous
intimacy - of literature as experience - discussion of Joseph Brodsky's
paper, J. Kristeva; the invisible intervention - discussion of Joseph
Brodsky's paper, P. Taidrup; ark, P. Taidrup; discussion of Joseph Brodsky's
paper, A. Ellegard. Part 2 General linguistics: on language in relation to
the evolution of human consciousness, M.A.K. Halliday; discussion of M.A.K.
Halliday's paper. O. Dahl; semiosis - language(s), texts/discourses and
grammar/s; discussion of M.A.K. Halliday's paper, J. Sandor; discussion of
M.A.K. Halliday's paper, S. Ohman. Part 3 Psycholinguistics: accessing the
mind through language, W. Chafe; minds, modules and evolution - discussion of
Wallace Chafe's paper, J. Aitchison; and there was snow, chest high, at
Tuolomne Meadows - discussion of Wallace Chafe's paper, J. Asplund; speaking
about the inner environment - discussion of Wallace Chafe's paper, P.
Gardenfors. Part 4 Neurology: language and the brain - a look at brain
circuitry with functional brain imaging, M. Raichle; discussion of Marcus E.
Raichle's paper "Language and the Brain - a look at Brain circuitry with
functional brain imaging", A. Ellegard; language and consciousness -
neurolinguistic and clinical aspects - discussion of Marcus E. Raichle's
paper, D.H. Ingvar; understanding understanding? - brain imaging and
experimental semantics - discussion of Marcus E. Raichle's paper, T.
Norretranders. Part 4 Artificial intelligence: speechstuff and thoughtstuff -
musing on the resonances created by words and phrases via the subliminal
perception of their buried parts, D.R. Hofstadter; language and mind as
topics in natural science - discussion of Douglas R. Hofstadter's paper, P.
Kanerva; discussion of Douglas R. Hofstadter's paper, U. Linde; IT-ism -
discussion of Douglas R. Hofstadter's paper, P. Weissglas; and other papers.
