The human species presents a multitude of cognitive specificities that distinguish it from other animals, to the point where we can legitimately speak of a " singularity of the human species " - without denying, of course, that each of our faculties, as Charles Darwin already emphasized in The Descent of Man, has its origins in evolution, i.e. in the existence of precursors still present in other animal species.
The list of potential singularities of the human species is long: use of the tool ? Self-awareness ? Awareness of others, through the theory of mind ? Ability to educate oneself and others ? Musical, mathematical or scientific creativity ? The aim of this year's lecture was to examine a single unifying hypothesis: that the faculty of language lies at the heart of human uniqueness. According to this hypothesis, more than any other animal species, we possess neural architectures that enable us to express our thoughts symbolically and share them with others.