Language Perception Theory : A Perceptual Ontology of Auditory and Visual Linguistic Symbol Systems
Abstract
This article argues that language must be distinguished from the symbol systems through which it is represented, revealing that auditory and visual systems produce fundamentally distinct cognitive organizations of meaning. Auditory languages are structured by the temporal flow of sound, whereas visual symbol systems—functioning as independent mechanisms rather than extensions of speech—emerge from the spatial configuration of the trace. This framework clarifies why contemporary AI systems, grounded in an auditory-sequential architecture, perform a structural flattening of visual-semantic languages.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Categorization
perception
and language
Syntax
Semantics
Linguistic Variation
Cybernetics and Technology in Society
Publication details
- Journal / source
- PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation)
- Publication date
- 30 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book