Future perspectives in neurobiological investigation of language

Studying language as an object of the biological world requires the resolution of the mind-brain problem. While contemporary theoretical linguistics has addressed the problem adopting a dualistic approach (in which the representational and algorithmic nature of linguistic knowledge can be investigated independently by brain activity), cognitive neuroscience has privileged an anti-dualistic perspective (in which the direct observation of the brain can reveal the higher-level cognitive properties of the language faculty). These different epistemological views generated incommensurable ontologies that at the moment prevent the fertile integration of linguistics and cognitive neuroscience. The aim of this special issue is to redraw attention to unresolved shortcomings adopting an interdisciplinary perspective by comparing different research traditions, approaches and methods. The contributions come from linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, neurophysiology, computational neuroscience and computer science and discussed topics related with different aspects of the language faculty. We have tried to blend experimental works with theoretical contributions from linguistics addressing questions that can fruitfully join experimental evidence with abstract theorization. We conclude by outlining some future scenarios under the theme of integration that, although stimulated on the basis of the linguistic-cognitive neuroscience interface, represent general challenges for all interdisciplinary approaches in cognitive neuroscience.

► The study of language as an object of the biological world requires the resolution of the mind-brain problem.
► While linguistics adopts a dualistic approach, cognitive neuroscience develops an anti-dualistic perspective.
► This prevents a fertile integration of linguistics and cognitive neuroscience.
► We redraw attention to unresolved shortcomings by adopting an interdisciplinary perspective.
► Future scenarios under the theme integration are outlined.