Representation of language : philosophical issues in a Chomskyan linguistics /
In Representation of Language Georges Rey offers a philosophical defense of Chomskyan theories of human language, according to which our linguistic competence is founded on an internal, innate computational system. Yet he also gives a critical examination of some of the ways in which Chomskyan views...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford :
Oxford University Press,
2020.
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | In Representation of Language Georges Rey offers a philosophical defense of Chomskyan theories of human language, according to which our linguistic competence is founded on an internal, innate computational system. Yet he also gives a critical examination of some of the ways in which Chomskyan views have been developed. He critiques, for instance, their assimilation to traditional Rationalism, and the supposed conflict between being innate and being learned. He shows that their associated ontology is often unclear, requiring what he calls a 'representational pretense', whereby linguists merely pretend for the sake of exposition that, for example, tokens of words are uttered. Most crucially, he takes a critical look at Chomsky's eliminativism about the role of intentionality not only in his own theories, but in any serious science at all. Ultimately, Rey shows how a theory as rich and promising as Chomskyan linguistics can continue to illuminate a range of issues relating to language and mind, not only in linguistics but in psychology and philosophy as well. This title is a defense of a Chomskyan conception of language against philosophical objections that have been raised against it. It also provides, however, a critical examination of some of the glosses on the theory: the assimilation of it to traditional Rationalism; a supposed conflict between being innate and learned; an unclear ontology and the need of a 'representational pretense' with regard to it; and, most crucially, a rejection of Chomsky's eliminativism about the role of intentionality not only in his own theories, but in any serious science at all. This last is a fundamentally important issue for linguistics, psychology, and philosophy that an examination of a theory as rich and promising as a Chomskyan linguistics should help illuminate. |
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| Item Description: | This edition also issued in print: 2020. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (384 pages) : illustrations (black and white) |
| Audience: | Specialized. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. |
| ISBN: | 9780191889318 0191889318 9780192597755 0192597752 |