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485 Pages·1981·31.003 MB·English
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The Conduct of Linguistic Inquiry JANUA LINGUARUM Series Practica 157 Studia Memoriae Nicolai van Wijk Dedicata endenda curat C.H.van Schooneveld Indiana University MOUTON PUBLISHERS • THE HAGUE • PARIS • NEW YORK The Conduct of Linguistic Inquiry A Systematic Introduction to the Methodology of Generative Grammar Rudolf P.Botha MOUTON PUBLISHERS • THE HAGUE • PARIS • NEW YORK Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Botha, Rudolf P. The conduct of linguistic inquiry. (Janua linguarum: Series practica; 157) Translation of Generatiewe taalondersoek. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Generative grammar-Methodology. I. Title. II. Series. P158.B6713 1980 415 80-25705 ISBN 90-279-3088-8 (casebound) 90-279-3299-9 (paperback) ISBN 90-279-3088-8 (casebound) 90-279-3299-9 (paperback) © 1981, Mouton Publishers, The Hague, The Netherlands Printed in Great Britain "... the only excuse teachers have for teaching is ignorance... their own; their students' is taken for granted of course. If so, then teachers will do better to study than teach, since the more they will know the less they will wish to teach: which is all to the good. This is particularly true concerning methods. .." Joseph Agassi 1976:11. Preface for Instructors As the student of linguistics progresses, he will be faced with questions such as the following: What kind of activity or enterprise is linguistic inquiry? What is a linguistic theory? What role do such theories play in linguistic inquiry? What is the difference between linguistic description and linguistic explanation? What is the function of predictions and postdictions in linguistic inquiry? How do linguists make discoveries about human language(s)? How are linguistic theories tested and justified? What types of argument do linguists use to justify their theories? How do linguists react to criticism of their theories? As far as I know, there is no textbook to which the student may be referred for well-founded and systematically integrated answers to these and other related methodological questions. The nonexistence of such a methodological textbook poses a serious obstacle to the intellectual development of the student seeking answers to the questions mentioned above. There is, however, a good reason for the nonexistence of a methodological textbook of the kind in question. The demands made on the writer of such a textbook make the task quite discouraging. Not only should he possess the normal didactical skills. He should also be at home in two extremely complex fields: those of present-day linguistics and the philosophy of science. Contem- porary linguistics is becoming more and more of a maze of highly technical controversies which tax even the most skilled scholars in the field. This is even more true of the modern philosphy of science. Attempting to write a textbook on linguistic methodology involves braving the dangers of both and the chances of survival appear to be slim. A further obstacle to the writing of such a textbook is the fact that, under normal circumstances, writers of textbooks rely heavily on existing technical works in their particular field. In fact, most textbooks present little more than a simplified, specially compiled didactical representation of information from these technical works. As far as the methodology of linguistics — the field of study in which the two above-mentioned subjects intersect — is concerned, such technical works are extremely rare. This field is, in fact, poorly developed. Very little or no attention has been given to questions such as those raised in the introduction to this preface. As a result, much more is involved in writing a methodological textbook for contemporary linguistics than the mere represen- tation of existing information. A considerable part of the contents of such a textbook has to be conceived by the writer. viii Preface for Instructors In view of this, it is clear why no methodological textbooks for contemporary linguistics has been written as yet. However, the difficulties facing the writer do not, unfortunately, detract from the need for such a textbook. The Conduct of Linguistic Inquiry is the result of an effort to present students who have had a first, conventional introduction to generative grammar with a truly introductory textbook. As such it contains a limited amount of information on the general nature and individual aspects of linguistic inquiry as it is practised within the framework of generative grammar. The information contained in this book gives the student some first answers to questions such as those mentioned at the beginning of this preface. But it is not the ultimate aim of this book to give a mere representation of information on methodological aspects of generative grammar. Ultimately, the book aims at instilling in the student a consciousness of and sensitivity for these methodological or metascientific aspects. I am convinced that insensitivity as regards these methodological aspects is one of the main causes for the turmoil in contemporary linguistics. Generative grammar, however, represents but one approach within modern linguistics. The Conduct of Linguistic Inquiry can therefore not really claim to be an introduction to the methodology of "contemporary linguistics". In my opinion, it is not didactically advisable to confront the student with the methodologies of various alternative approaches to linguistics within the confines of a single introductory textbook. I have chosen the approach within the frame- work of which the most and the most significant linguistic research has been done during the past twenty years. It would be senseless to introduce a student to "more recent", "deviant" approaches within contemporary linguistics while he is not yet thoroughly conversant with the substance and methodology of "classical" generative grammar. In order to make The Conduct of Linguistic Inquiry useful to as large a public as possible certain measures have been taken. Thus, I have tried to keep the contents of the book as uncontroversial as possible, both from a linguistic and a philosophical point of view. As regards the linguistic aspect, the aims of genera- tive grammar, the nature of linguistic theories, etc., I have concentrated on the Chomskyan approach. This does not mean that I am propagating this approach, nor does it imply that this approach does not have certain serious limitations. Moreover, this does not mean that other, "deviant" approaches within generative grammar are rejected as being sterile. Special status is accorded to the Chomskyan approach for the following reason: neither the origin and early development of generative grammar, nor the recent "deviant" developments within generative grammar can be understood when viewed in isolation from the Chomskyan approach. It is therefore clear that this approach should receive special treatment in an introductory textbook. As we proceed, it will become clear that, from a methodological or metascientific point of view, the Chomskyan approach is defined in terms of ontological realism, phenomenological rationalism, epistemo- logical empiricism and methodological generality. I have also tried to be uncontroversial in my choice of illustrative linguistic Preface for Instructors ix material. The material has been taken from the controversy between lexicalists and transformationalists, but the book does not purport to take sides in the con- troversy. Chomsky's work on nominalization in English and McCawley's reaction to it have furnished the greater part of the illustrative material. The material has been carefully selected so as to require a minimum of general linguistic erudition on the part of the student. At this point an explicit word of caution may be necessary. The accuracy of the metascientific characterization of the Chomskyan approach which is given in this book is in no way dependent on the correctness of the substantive linguistic principles presented as illustrative material. Among these principles are the X-convention, the principle of neutral lexical entries, the recoverability condition on deletion transformations and the Coordinate Structure Constraint. Should linguists at any time abandon or drastically modify these and other substantive linguistic principles, they will not, by implication, alter the metascientific principles presented in this book. As regards the metascientific aspect of the book: wherever possible, a serious effort has been made to steer clear of controversies such as those concerning the structure of theories, the ontological status of theories, the nature of scientific explanation, the mechanisms responsible for the growth of scientific knowledge, etc. If, for instance, the ontological status of linguistic theories is presented from a realistic viewpoint, it is not without reason. The realistic point of view happens to be descriptive of the Chomskyan view of the ontological status of linguistic theories and is presented as such. This policy has been followed throughout: concepts, hypotheses and theories from the philosophy of science are presented only insofar as they are descriptive of what is characteristic of generative grammar on a metascientific level. To further understanding it is highly desirable that the contents of a book such as the present one should be presented within the framework of a single, homogeneous, explanatory theory of philosophy of science. This, however, has unfortunately been impossible in the case of The Conduct of Linguistic Inquiry: such a philosophical theory, which is free from serious shortcomings, does not exist. As far as the structure of the book and the presentation of the contents are concerned, I have also adopted certain measures to ensure that the book will be as useful as possible. For instance, an effort has been made to present the material in a maximally digestible form. For this purpose I have consciously chosen a pattern with certain redundant aspects. As far as the structure of the individual chapters is concerned: each chapter is introduced by a "Perspective" which contains a brief summary of the aims and contents of the chapter. At the end of (almost) every chapter bibliographic details of selected additional reading matter are to be found, in which certain important aspects of the contents of the chapter are discussed on a more advanced level. This has eliminated the need for footnotes and an abundance of disturbing references. In addition, the selected reading adds an extra dimension to the book for more advanced students. Through their further reading these students will gain insight into the problematic nature of certain metascientific aspects of generative grammar.

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