Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-rxvq6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-17T17:17:16.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Infants, animals, and the origins of number

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2017

Eric Margolis
Eric Margolis*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada eric.margolis@ubc.ca http://www.margolisphilosophy.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Where do human numerical abilities come from? Leibovich et al. argue against nativist views of numerical development noting limitations in newborns' vision and limitations regarding newborns' ability to individuate objects. I argue that these considerations do not undermine competing nativist views and that Leibovich et al.'s model itself presupposes that infant learners have numerical representations.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e178
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Carey, S. (2001) Cognitive foundations of arithmetic: Evolution and ontogenisis. Mind & Language 16(1):37–55. doi: 10.1111/1468-0017.00155.Google Scholar
Dehaene, S. (1997) The number sense: How the mind creates mathematics. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Izard, V., Sann, C., Spelke, E. S. & Steri, A. (2009) Newborn infants perceive abstract numbers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106(25):10382–85.Google Scholar
Margolis, E. & Laurence, S. (2013) In defense of nativism. Philosophical Studies 165(2):693–718.Google Scholar
Turati, C., Gava, L., Valenza, E. & Ghirardi, V. (2013) Number versus extent in newborns' spontaneous preference for collections of dots. Cognitive Development 28(1):10–20.Google Scholar
Xu, F. & Carey, S. (1996) Infants' metaphysics: The case of numerical identity. Cognitive Psychology 30(2):111–53.Google Scholar