Concepts and Representational Format: The Structural Limits of Conceptual Representation

This thesis investigates what is required for a human or non-human animal to have concepts. It asks whether concepts require a particular kind of system of mental representations—a system that is akin to an internal language. It argues that a language-like system of representation is not necessary for having concepts, and that concepts can also occur in other sorts of representational systems, such as mental maps or diagrams. This conclusion is relevant to how we investigate whether a particular population—such as bees, chimps, or infant humans—has concepts.