[ryandv]

I don't actually take any strong positions on the matter so long as the sense in which a term is used is clearly defined and agreed upon from the outset. This is merely an observation regarding what the literature considers "language" and this narrow definition's basis in brain structure contrasted with other forms of mental activity.

But if I must, I suppose I am indeed assuming a stance by taking potshots at this narrower (albeit more precise) use of the word language by (obliquely) pointing to counterexamples that could be considered languages in their own right; the sweeping claim that "language is not essential for thought" seems far broader than the narrow sense in which the term is construed in the actual paper.