The role of language in cognitive development

This dissertation concerns the role of language in cognitive development. I consider two kinds of continuity and discontinuity in cognitive development: ContinuityC thesis: conceptual representation is built out of nonconceptual representation. DiscontinuityC thesis: conceptual representation cannot be built out of nonconceptual representation. DiscontinuityL thesis: acquiring a language makes possible new kinds of representation. Continuity L thesis: acquiring a language does not make possible new kinds of representation. I argue for discontinuityC and suggest a way to vindicate discontinuityL. I engage a number of different theorists in the course of this dissertation who likewise attempt to vindicate discontinuity L, but I argue that they are unsuccessful in doing so and that they ultimately embrace the continuityL thesis. Although I do not defend it in this dissertation, I suggest that discontinuityC and discontinuity L may be the very same discontinuity.