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Stenka25 Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
What is the antecedent of ‘that’?
What is the antecedent of ‘that’?
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
The fourth bridge from biology to culture is evolutionary psychology, the study of the phylogenetic history and adaptive functions of the mind. It holds out the hope of understanding the design or purpose of the mind — not in some mystical or teleological sense, but in the sense of the simulacrum of engineering that pervades the natural world.
In this passage I want to know what is the antecedent of the underlined ‘that.’
It seems to refer to ‘the simulacrum’ in a sense, but it also seems to be able to stand for ‘engineering.’
Thanks a lot.
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
The fourth bridge from biology to culture is evolutionary psychology, the study of the phylogenetic history and adaptive functions of the mind. It holds out the hope of understanding the design or purpose of the mind — not in some mystical or teleological sense, but in the sense of the simulacrum of engineering that pervades the natural world.
In this passage I want to know what is the antecedent of the underlined ‘that.’
It seems to refer to ‘the simulacrum’ in a sense, but it also seems to be able to stand for ‘engineering.’
Thanks a lot.
Top answer
Stenka25 It seems to refer to ‘the simulacrum’ Yes, it does. It's not saying that engineering itself pervades the natural world, but that the appearance of engineering (what seems to be engineering) pervades it. CJ
- Stenka25 It seems to refer to ‘the simulacrum’ Yes, it does.
- It's not saying that engineering itself pervades the natural world, but that the appearance of engineering (what seems to be engineering) pervades it.
- CJ
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2 Answers
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Stenka25It seems to refer to ‘the simulacrum’Yes, it does. It's not saying that engineering itself pervades the natural world, but that the appearance of engineering (what seems to be engineering) pervades it.
CJ
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