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Generative Grammar's Grave Foundational Errors
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This work examines Noam Chomsky's widely accepted ontological assumptions, now referred to as “biolinguistics”—and demonstrates that they are internally inconsistent. Notably, it is shown that Chomsky himself has at least once admitted this flaw.
Additionally, the volume challenges a fundamental assumption from Chomsky’s 1950s linguistic writings. This is the claim that the grammars of natural languages, particularly of English, must be constructive (proof-theoretic) devices, usually called generative grammars. It is shown that this persistent view cannot in principal account for a multitude of linguistic structures realized as perfectly natural sentences.
Finally, the work scrutinizes Chomsky’s frequent assertion that “there is essentially only one language spoken on Earth,” revealing it to have no actual substance.
The exposition of these flaws calls for a reassessment of fundamental aspects of generative linguistics.
Additionally, the volume challenges a fundamental assumption from Chomsky’s 1950s linguistic writings. This is the claim that the grammars of natural languages, particularly of English, must be constructive (proof-theoretic) devices, usually called generative grammars. It is shown that this persistent view cannot in principal account for a multitude of linguistic structures realized as perfectly natural sentences.
Finally, the work scrutinizes Chomsky’s frequent assertion that “there is essentially only one language spoken on Earth,” revealing it to have no actual substance.
The exposition of these flaws calls for a reassessment of fundamental aspects of generative linguistics.
Paul M. Postal is a Ph.D. (Yale, 1963) and a former professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a former Research Staff Member at the IBM Research Center, a former professor of linguistics at the City University of New York and a former visiting scholar at New York University. He has published or edited eighteen books and dozens of articles on linguistic topics.
Editorial Foreword
1 Introduction
2 The Foundational Admission
1 Background
2 Incoherence
3 Incoherence Highlighted
4 The Admission: 1
5 The Admission: 2
6 The Analyticity Contradiction
7 Biolinguistics vs. Katz’s Platonist Conception of Natural Language
8 Natural Language and Knowledge of Natural Language
9 Ethical Issues
10 The Manufacture of Consent
3 Natural Languages Are Not Generative Systems
Part 1: Generative Beginnings
Part 2: Theoretically Ignored Sentences
Part 3: Implications
4 The One Language Claim
1 A Deceptive Claim
2 ‘Peripheral’/‘Minor’ Differences
3 Space Alien Scientist Opinion
4 Lack of Good Faith
5 Lack of Motivation
6 Conclusion
5 Conclusion
References
Index
1 Introduction
2 The Foundational Admission
1 Background
2 Incoherence
3 Incoherence Highlighted
4 The Admission: 1
5 The Admission: 2
6 The Analyticity Contradiction
7 Biolinguistics vs. Katz’s Platonist Conception of Natural Language
8 Natural Language and Knowledge of Natural Language
9 Ethical Issues
10 The Manufacture of Consent
3 Natural Languages Are Not Generative Systems
Part 1: Generative Beginnings
Part 2: Theoretically Ignored Sentences
Part 3: Implications
4 The One Language Claim
1 A Deceptive Claim
2 ‘Peripheral’/‘Minor’ Differences
3 Space Alien Scientist Opinion
4 Lack of Good Faith
5 Lack of Motivation
6 Conclusion
5 Conclusion
References
Index
The book will interest professional linguists, linguistic graduate and undergraduate students, people in related fields (philosophy of language, language teaching, anthropology) as well as those interested in the ideas of Noam Chomsky.