Abstract
One of the main difficulties in Chomsky's account of generative grammars
and linguistic theories is to determine what exactly these grammars and
theories explain. In some places Chomsky seems to be saying that they
explain how a set of sentences might be generated and in others that they
explain how these sentences are actually generated. On the whole his
earlier writings accord with this first view and it is not until his more
recent writings that a subtle change of emphasis inclines him to the second
view. Only this first view is justified and when this is realised a lot of
the contemporary discussion on questions of innateness will be rendered
groundless. [opening paragraph]
and linguistic theories is to determine what exactly these grammars and
theories explain. In some places Chomsky seems to be saying that they
explain how a set of sentences might be generated and in others that they
explain how these sentences are actually generated. On the whole his
earlier writings accord with this first view and it is not until his more
recent writings that a subtle change of emphasis inclines him to the second
view. Only this first view is justified and when this is realised a lot of
the contemporary discussion on questions of innateness will be rendered
groundless. [opening paragraph]
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 429-431 |
| Journal | Mind |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 331 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1974 |