The subject-object division in language acquisition and ego development

Abstract

Cognitive development can be construed as children's progress in making a division between what is true of their experiences and what is true of the world. Linguistically this represents the distinction between intension and extension. A view of language acquisition is presented which takes co-designation of extensions by intensions as the child's central task, rather than abstraction. Some speculations are offered about the course of language development. Using similar conceptual tools, ego development is interpreted as the process of constructing “expressive” and “reflective” intensions to the self.