The Symbolic Species: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain by Terrence W. Deacon is reviewed by Donald Favareau, a graduate student in Applied Linguistics at UCLA. Deacon challenges many assumptions in modern linguistic theory, particularly Chomsky's Universal Grammar paradigm, which posits that language is innate and hard-wired into the brain. Deacon argues that language is not an internal brain function but rather a product of the interaction between biology and culture. He supports this by invoking evolutionary theory and the Baldwinian theory of evolution, which suggests that the environment can influence natural selection. Deacon refutes the idea of innate syntactic processing or language-learning modules in the brain, instead proposing that language is a symbolic representation that emerges from the co-evolution of humans and their environment. He also argues that the concept of Universal Grammar exceeds the constraints of brain evolution, as language changes rapidly over short evolutionary periods, leaving little time for mental adaptations to specific syntactic structures. Deacon further contends that symbols are not directly mapped to objects but to other symbols, and that the lack of invariant stimuli for evolution to act upon makes innate grammar unlikely. He proposes an alternative theory of language, suggesting that language is the result of a constellation of biases and influences rather than an innate module. Deacon's work is interdisciplinary, combining neurology, philosophy, linguistics, and paleontology, and is seen as a significant contribution to the field of applied linguistics.The Symbolic Species: The Co-evolution of Language and the Brain by Terrence W. Deacon is reviewed by Donald Favareau, a graduate student in Applied Linguistics at UCLA. Deacon challenges many assumptions in modern linguistic theory, particularly Chomsky's Universal Grammar paradigm, which posits that language is innate and hard-wired into the brain. Deacon argues that language is not an internal brain function but rather a product of the interaction between biology and culture. He supports this by invoking evolutionary theory and the Baldwinian theory of evolution, which suggests that the environment can influence natural selection. Deacon refutes the idea of innate syntactic processing or language-learning modules in the brain, instead proposing that language is a symbolic representation that emerges from the co-evolution of humans and their environment. He also argues that the concept of Universal Grammar exceeds the constraints of brain evolution, as language changes rapidly over short evolutionary periods, leaving little time for mental adaptations to specific syntactic structures. Deacon further contends that symbols are not directly mapped to objects but to other symbols, and that the lack of invariant stimuli for evolution to act upon makes innate grammar unlikely. He proposes an alternative theory of language, suggesting that language is the result of a constellation of biases and influences rather than an innate module. Deacon's work is interdisciplinary, combining neurology, philosophy, linguistics, and paleontology, and is seen as a significant contribution to the field of applied linguistics.