C. H. McCloy Lecture: symbols, conventions, games, Eleanor Metheny, and the evolution of human intelligence.
In this essay I argue that Eleanor Metheny was ahead of her time when she argued that nonverbal physical activities carry symbolic meanings and are, for that reason and others, intellectually impressive. I compare her theories on the symbolic process with something that might be called the "conventional process." I will show why conventional logic rather than symbolic reasoning tells us more about the way intelligence evolved and the potentially impressive role played by games in the advance of human civilization.
Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, 268-K Rec Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. rsk1@psu.edu
Scott
S
Kretchmar
D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007697:Kinesics; D009068:Movement; D013177:Sports; D013561:Symbolism