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The Origin of Concepts (Oxford Series in Cognitive Development) Reprint Edition

by Susan Carey (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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Only human beings have a rich conceptual repertoire with concepts like tort, entropy, Abelian group, mannerism, icon and deconstruction. How have humans constructed these concepts? And once they have been constructed by adults, how do children acquire them? While primarily focusing on the second question, in The Origin of Concepts , Susan Carey shows that the answers to both overlap substantially.

Carey begins by characterizing the innate starting point for conceptual development, namely systems of core cognition. Representations of core cognition are the output of dedicated input analyzers, as with perceptual representations, but these core representations differ from perceptual representations in having more abstract contents and richer functional roles. Carey argues that the key to understanding cognitive development lies in recognizing conceptual discontinuities in which new representational systems emerge that have more expressive power than core cognition and are also incommensurate with core cognition and other earlier representational systems. Finally, Carey fleshes out Quinian bootstrapping, a learning mechanism that has been repeatedly sketched in the literature on the history and philosophy of science. She demonstrates that Quinian bootstrapping is a major mechanism in the construction of new representational resources over the course of childrens cognitive development.

Carey shows how developmental cognitive science resolves aspects of long-standing philosophical debates about the existence, nature, content, and format of innate knowledge. She also shows that understanding the processes of conceptual development in children illuminates the historical process by which concepts are constructed, and transforms the way we think about philosophical problems about the nature of concepts and the relations between language and thought.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199838801
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199838806
  3. Edition
    Reprint
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    May 13, 2011
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
  8. Print length
    598 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Book Description

New in paperback-- A transformative book on the way we think about the nature of concepts and the relations between language and thought.

About the Author

Susan Carey is a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. She is a renowned expert on conceptual development and is known for introducing the concept of fast mapping, whereby children learn the meanings of words after a single exposure, and for integrating work on conceptual change in the history of science with work on conceptual change in childhood.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (May 13, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 598 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199838801
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199838806
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.92 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

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Susan Carey

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
20 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

xiaobianlu
5.0 out of 5 stars a classic to be!
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2013
Verified Purchase
Carey is an amazing writer - she explained abstract ideas and concepts in such an accessible way, and explained her theory with abundant empirical findings. Her arguments were very fair - it's completely fine if you don't agree with her; let the evidence talk.
5 people found this helpful
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Jessica Gamache
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice overview
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2012
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A nice overview on a ton of work looking at the development of concepts in infants/young children. A bit dense in places, but overall a easy read even for people without much background.
3 people found this helpful
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Marcos
5.0 out of 5 stars Good.
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2011
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Great book, I recomendo.A origin of ideas is a book that every student of psychology must read. I'm fascinated by the contents of the book. It's worth paying for the book!
One person found this helpful
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Gerlinde Teixeira
5.0 out of 5 stars The Origin of Concepts (Oxford Series in Cognitive Development)
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2012
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the book The Origin of Concepts (Oxford Series in Cognitive Development) is a good book
Should be read by all teachers
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José Monserrat Neto
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2014
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I WANT TO SEE THE TABLE CONTENTS OF AMAZON BOOKS!!!
4 people found this helpful
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Arash Taleghani
2.0 out of 5 stars I really wanted to like this book
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2018
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I really wanted to like this book. I saw a lecture by Dr. Carey and was impressed by her presentation. Unfortunately, the book is very dense and difficult to read. Does anyone recommend another book that covers the subject in a lighter, more engaging way?
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Doctor L.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2015
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Great book. Highly recommend.
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