Earlier and later anti-psychologism in linguistics
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Els Elffers-van Ketel
Abstract
Psychologism has been a mainstream view in linguistics throughout many centuries. Serious and prominent anti-psychologism flourished in the first half of the 20th century, mainly in European structuralism. As a minority view, mostly dubbed ‘anti-mentalism’, anti-psychologism resurfaced in the 1970s in reaction to Chomsky’s strong psychologism. I will show that, in spite of differences due to their relationship to divergent problem contexts, the earlier and later varieties of anti-psychologism share as a common kernel a full recognition of the intentional character of language. However, the locus of intentionality differs between the two.
Abstract
Psychologism has been a mainstream view in linguistics throughout many centuries. Serious and prominent anti-psychologism flourished in the first half of the 20th century, mainly in European structuralism. As a minority view, mostly dubbed ‘anti-mentalism’, anti-psychologism resurfaced in the 1970s in reaction to Chomsky’s strong psychologism. I will show that, in spite of differences due to their relationship to divergent problem contexts, the earlier and later varieties of anti-psychologism share as a common kernel a full recognition of the intentional character of language. However, the locus of intentionality differs between the two.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & Acknowledgements ix
- Honorary President’s Address xi
- Editors’ introduction xv
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Part I. European linguistics in the 17th and late 18th centuries
- “Inversions of word order generate higher costs” 3
- Qui a écrit la Grammaire générale et raisonnée ? 13
- Travail du pouvoir et productions sur la ‘langue française’ au XVIIe siècle 27
- The main characteristics of grammar-writing in Slovenia between 1584 and 1758 37
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Part II. Linguistics in the late 18th and 19th centuries
- Western grammars of the Chinese language in the 18th and 19th centuries 53
- L’universalité du discours et le génie des langues dans la Grammaire philosophique et littéraire (1823–1824) de Nicolas Paquis de Sauvigny 63
- The reception of Court de Gébelin in 19th-century Portuguese grammar 71
- Morphologie du langage et typologie linguistique 87
- L’évolution du terme ‘sémiologie’ chez Saussure: 1881–1891 103
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Part III. Theoretical issues in the 20th-century linguistic thought
- Questioning the idea of ‘founding text’ 117
- Earlier and later anti-psychologism in linguistics 127
- Looking for a semantic theory 137
- Jakobson’s circles 145
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Part IV. Russian and Soviet linguistics
- Soviet linguistics and world linguistics 159
- Anti-positivism in early Soviet linguistics 169
- De la fusion des langues au repli sur soi (URSS 1917–1953) 181
- Semantics as a background for (pre)semiotic trends in Russian intellectual history of the 1920s–1930s (and beyond) 191
- Présence de la Russie dans le réseau phonétique international (1886–1940) 201
- Index of biographical names 216
- Index of subjects and terms 219
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword & Acknowledgements ix
- Honorary President’s Address xi
- Editors’ introduction xv
-
Part I. European linguistics in the 17th and late 18th centuries
- “Inversions of word order generate higher costs” 3
- Qui a écrit la Grammaire générale et raisonnée ? 13
- Travail du pouvoir et productions sur la ‘langue française’ au XVIIe siècle 27
- The main characteristics of grammar-writing in Slovenia between 1584 and 1758 37
-
Part II. Linguistics in the late 18th and 19th centuries
- Western grammars of the Chinese language in the 18th and 19th centuries 53
- L’universalité du discours et le génie des langues dans la Grammaire philosophique et littéraire (1823–1824) de Nicolas Paquis de Sauvigny 63
- The reception of Court de Gébelin in 19th-century Portuguese grammar 71
- Morphologie du langage et typologie linguistique 87
- L’évolution du terme ‘sémiologie’ chez Saussure: 1881–1891 103
-
Part III. Theoretical issues in the 20th-century linguistic thought
- Questioning the idea of ‘founding text’ 117
- Earlier and later anti-psychologism in linguistics 127
- Looking for a semantic theory 137
- Jakobson’s circles 145
-
Part IV. Russian and Soviet linguistics
- Soviet linguistics and world linguistics 159
- Anti-positivism in early Soviet linguistics 169
- De la fusion des langues au repli sur soi (URSS 1917–1953) 181
- Semantics as a background for (pre)semiotic trends in Russian intellectual history of the 1920s–1930s (and beyond) 191
- Présence de la Russie dans le réseau phonétique international (1886–1940) 201
- Index of biographical names 216
- Index of subjects and terms 219
