Inferential communication: The primacy of external representations

We argue that intentionalist accounts of ostensive‐inferential communication fail to adequately explain the role of external representations in human communication. We propose that the contents of a specific form of representational communication, symbolic depictions via spatio‐temporal arrangements of objects, can be inferred without attributing mental states. We analyze the cognitive capacities that underpin the production and interpretation of depictions and emphasize their potential role in transmitting generic knowledge. We then propose an evolutionary scenario in which depictive demonstrations of tool use and instrumental actions fostered diverse types of inferential communication as well as the emergence of metarepresentational capacities.