The Science of Language: Interviews with James McGilvrayNoam Chomsky is one of the most influential thinkers of our time, yet his views are often misunderstood. In this previously unpublished series of interviews, Chomsky discusses his iconoclastic and important ideas concerning language, human nature and politics. In dialogue with James McGilvray, Professor of Philosophy at McGill University, Chomsky takes up a wide variety of topics - the nature of language, the philosophies of language and mind, morality and universality, science and common sense, and the evolution of language. McGilvray's extensive commentary helps make this incisive set of interviews accessible to a variety of readers. The volume is essential reading for those involved in the study of language and mind, as well as anyone with an interest in Chomsky's ideas. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The science of language and mind | 9 |
Part II Human nature and its study | 93 |
Iconcepts Ibeliefs and Ilanguage | 153 |
The several uses of function ́ ́ | 157 |
On what is distinctive about human nature and how to deal with the distinction | 176 |
Chomsky on natural science | 183 |
Of concepts and misguided theories of them and why human concepts are unique | 186 |
Variation parameters and canalization | 239 |
Simplicity | 243 |
Hume on the missing shade of blue and related matters | 247 |
Syntax semantics pragmatics nonChomskyan and Chomskyan | 250 |
An internalist picture of how concepts work ́ | 255 |
Commentaries | 262 |
Glossary | 291 |
| 303 | |
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acquisition assume assumption basic behavior biolinguistics biological c-command called Chomsky Chomsky's cognitive capacities commonsense concepts complex computational conceived constraints construct contributions creatures Descartes discussion domain entities evolution evolutionary example explain external fact Fodor folk physics formal Fregean function genetic going human concepts I-language idea innate input interesting internal Merge internalist intuitions issue kind language faculty least lexical items linguistically expressed look main text mathematics meaning mental mind Minimalist Program moral natural languages natural science naturalistic notion operations organisms parameters perhaps person philosophers phonology physics plausible poverty of stimulus principles principles and parameters problem properties question reason recursion relevant role scientific scientists semantic features semantic interface sense sensory-motor sentences ship of Theseus somehow sort speak specific structure syntactic syntax theory of language there's things third factor thought understand Universal Grammar visual system X-bar theory yield