Can there be self-awareness/consciousness without language?

woof

RYes. Language just consists of arbitrary words attached to ideas and objects. Without knowing a spoken language, you would still develop a method of attaching meaning to objects, in order to recall, compare, and think about them.

Doubtful, or so it seems to me.

One can certainly, or obviously, have a sequence of contiguous sense experiences unified, perhaps, by an underlying and continuous will to survive, albeit unconsciously. In that case, a subject emerges, but - it would seem to me - the subject would be entirely ignorant of its own status 'as subject'. Unless, of course, the memories which that subject accrued - which would be sense, rather than language, impressions - i.e. the bitter taste of poison, or pleasant smell of pineapple - could dictate his/her behaviour in such a way that the present recollection of past pleasure or pain would - at the moment of recollection, or recognition - influence the internal identity of the subject (e.g. the self-awareness that 'I' enjoy 'that' pineapple) in a manner which is non-reliant upon language. Is that not a form of consciousness? The anticipation of future pleasure based on the recollection of past pleasure? Memory isn't strictly linguistic, but it does give shape to our future and present behaviours in a manner which might be considered 'conscious'.

>>8410567
Also, the inverse isn't true. For example, plenty of animals speak using a language, but are incapable of reason and introspection. They only know right and wrong from what immediately benefits or harms them.

Yes, Genie was conscious despite having no language. You could tell because she was able to walk which is unlike those that are unconscious.