By Ali Syarief
Amid the lush tropical rainforest of Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, a simple conversation with Kenshi Suzuki, CEO of LEX/Hippo Family Club-Japan, sparked a profound reflection on the nature of humanity.
As we observed orangutans—the primates most closely related to humans—Suzuki made a thought-provoking remark:
“No matter how intelligent an animal may be, including the orangutan, the primate closest to humans, it will never truly speak as humans do. On the other hand, even a human being with very limited environmental input will eventually acquire the ability to speak.”
At first glance, the statement seems straightforward. Yet it touches upon one of the greatest mysteries in the history of civilization: Why are humans the only species capable of language?
Orangutans: Intelligent, Yet Speechless
Scientists estimate that humans share approximately 97–99 percent of their genetic material with orangutans. They can use tools, solve problems, recognize themselves in mirrors, and display complex emotions such as affection, empathy, and grief.
Despite these remarkable abilities, however, no orangutan has ever developed a true spoken language.
They can learn symbols, recognize gestures, and respond to specific commands. Yet they cannot create an open-ended linguistic system capable of generating an infinite number of new ideas and expressions.
An orangutan may learn to point at a banana when it is hungry. But it will never say:
“Yesterday I saw a banana tree near the river, and I hope we can return there tomorrow.”
The ability to discuss the past, imagine the future, express hopes, formulate abstractions, and communicate imagination remains uniquely human.
Noam Chomsky and the Theory of Universal Grammar
Renowned linguist Noam Chomsky proposed the theory of Universal Grammar.
According to Chomsky, human beings are born with an innate biological capacity for language. He referred to this as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), a built-in mechanism that enables children to acquire language naturally.
This explains why children do not need formal instruction in grammar before they begin speaking. Language emerges spontaneously through interaction with the environment.
Animals do not possess this linguistic architecture.
They can learn responses to stimuli and memorize associations, but they cannot generate entirely new linguistic structures in the way humans do.
In other words, humans do not merely learn language—they are biologically equipped for it.
Steven Pinker: Language as an Instinct
Cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker takes this idea even further.
In his influential work The Language Instinct, Pinker argues that language is not primarily a cultural invention but a biological instinct that evolved within the human species.
A child born in a remote village, in Tokyo, in Bandung, or in New York will naturally acquire language as long as there is sufficient social interaction.
Language develops as naturally as birds learn to fly.
That is why every known human society possesses language.
By contrast, no known animal species has ever developed a language system comparable to that of humans.
Language: The Engine of Civilization
The uniqueness of human language extends far beyond speech itself.
Language allows knowledge to be preserved and transmitted across generations.
An orangutan must learn almost everything from its own direct experience.
A human being, however, inherits thousands of years of accumulated wisdom through stories, books, traditions, education, and culture.
Through language, humanity created religion.
Through language, humanity established laws.
Through language, humanity developed science.
Through language, humanity built nations and civilizations.
Without language, there would be no history, no universities, no philosophy, and no technology.
Language is arguably the oldest and most revolutionary technology ever invented by humankind.
Lessons from the Orangutan Habitat
Standing in the orangutan habitat of Tanjung Puting, one cannot help but admire these extraordinary creatures. They skillfully navigate the forest canopy, use tools, recognize individuals, and nurture their young with remarkable care.
Yet after millions of years of evolution, they still cannot utter a single meaningful sentence.
By contrast, a human child born into the most modest circumstances will eventually learn to speak, tell stories, ask questions, compose poetry, formulate theories, and perhaps even change the world.
This is the fundamental distinction between humans and all other species.
Intelligence may be shared across many forms of life.
But language is the gift that sets humanity apart.
Language is not merely a tool of communication.
It is the foundation of civilization itself.
And perhaps, as suggested by that simple conversation with Kenshi Suzuki in the forests of Tanjung Puting, the ability to speak is not merely a human characteristic—it is the very quality that allows humanity to transcend the limitations of nature.
