Philosophical naturalism and linguistic epistemology
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Lia Formigari
Abstract
The first part of the article provides a general working definition of linguistic naturalism and briefly describes the forms it took in pre-modern theories of language, pointing out those aspects that are still present in the modern-day debate (Section 1). It then shows that two different notions of the a priori are at the root of two competing forms of modern linguistic naturalism (Section 2). These are discussed in the next paragraphs, in which Chomsky’s internalist naturalism is contrasted with Quine’s externalist naturalism (Section 3), and with more recent research programs that can be subsumed under the rubric of ‘developmental’ naturalism. These focus on the formation of the a priori structures of subjectivity, and on the interaction of those structures and social practices from a phylogenetic (Section 4) and ontogenetic perspective (Section 5). A last paragraph (Section 6) draws a few conclusions.
Abstract
The first part of the article provides a general working definition of linguistic naturalism and briefly describes the forms it took in pre-modern theories of language, pointing out those aspects that are still present in the modern-day debate (Section 1). It then shows that two different notions of the a priori are at the root of two competing forms of modern linguistic naturalism (Section 2). These are discussed in the next paragraphs, in which Chomsky’s internalist naturalism is contrasted with Quine’s externalist naturalism (Section 3), and with more recent research programs that can be subsumed under the rubric of ‘developmental’ naturalism. These focus on the formation of the a priori structures of subjectivity, and on the interaction of those structures and social practices from a phylogenetic (Section 4) and ontogenetic perspective (Section 5). A last paragraph (Section 6) draws a few conclusions.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Editors ix
- Introduction: Naturalness and iconicity in language 1
- Philosophical naturalism and linguistic epistemology 25
- Prolegomena to a general theory of iconicity considerations on language, gesture, and pictures 47
- Semiotic foundations of natural linguistics and diagrammatic iconicity 73
- Naturalness and markedness 101
- Natural and unnatural sound patterns: A pocket field guide 121
- The iconic function of full inversion in English 149
- What is iconic about polysemy? A contribution to research on diagrammatic Transparency 167
- Iconicity in sign languages 189
- Arbitrary structure, cognitive grammar, and the partes orationis. A study in Polish paradigms 215
- Name index 241
- Subject index 245
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Editors ix
- Introduction: Naturalness and iconicity in language 1
- Philosophical naturalism and linguistic epistemology 25
- Prolegomena to a general theory of iconicity considerations on language, gesture, and pictures 47
- Semiotic foundations of natural linguistics and diagrammatic iconicity 73
- Naturalness and markedness 101
- Natural and unnatural sound patterns: A pocket field guide 121
- The iconic function of full inversion in English 149
- What is iconic about polysemy? A contribution to research on diagrammatic Transparency 167
- Iconicity in sign languages 189
- Arbitrary structure, cognitive grammar, and the partes orationis. A study in Polish paradigms 215
- Name index 241
- Subject index 245
