Chomsky's Linguistics: A Theory of Language Structure
Chomsky's linguistics is a theory of language structure based on the idea that humans are "ideal speakers." Chomsky says that these ideal speakers are rarely mistaken and that their linguistic competence is given in the human mind. This theory was a major step forward for linguistics.
A Radical Departure from Existing Theory
His theory was a radical departure from the existing theory, which posits that language is an organ. This organ is working from the moment we are born. In other words, the moment we learn to speak, we have language. That organ is a part of our brain, and it is not only receptive to language but also possesses the capability to learn and process new words.
Inspiring a Generation of Young Linguists
Chomsky's idea of language as a "language organ" inspired a generation of young linguists. It made the field seem more intellectual, scientific, and conceptual, and made fieldwork less dangerous. As a result, the field of linguistics went from the dark ages of the 1960s to the forefront of modern science.
Political Activism: A Lifelong Commitment
Chomsky's political activism has been an important aspect of his work, and his ideas continue to have a lasting effect on the public discussion. The first step in Chomsky's activism was to write articles against the Vietnam War, which led to him becoming a prominent public dissident and political activist. He remained a prominent voice in both areas throughout his career. His political activism embodies a lifelong commitment to intellectual exploration, free thought, and human rights.
Speaking at University Student Events
The next step in Chomsky's political activism is to speak at university student events. He has spoken to a number of university political union student clubs, including the University of Chicago's Political Union. During the event, he addressed the issues facing the campus community.
Theory of Generative Grammar: Explaining Language Production
Chomsky's theory of generative language is based on a set of principles that he says explain how languages are produced. He first proposed generative grammar as a way to formalize the implicit rules of native languages. This view is also commonly known as grammaticality intuitions. Chomsky has argued that grammar is not a hypothesis about the processes involved in the production of language but a statement of what a person should know to recognize grammaticality.
The Power of Language to Express Meaning
In contrast to prescriptive grammar, generative grammar emphasizes the power of language to express meaning and communicate ideas. It relies on native speaker judgments of language structure and usage. Chomsky's theory argues that language is shaped by fundamental principles found in the brain. According to generative grammar, these principles can be found in a language, and they are inherent to every human being.
Poverty of the Stimulus: Examining Language Acquisition
Chomsky's poverty of the stimulus argument relies on two premises: that a language is an internal code and that its representation is performed by the speaker, and that it does not require an external stimulus to form its content. If this argument is correct, then we have to ask whether the stimulus has some effect on how the language is represented and how it functions in performance.
Limitations of the Popperian Paradigm
Chomsky's poverty of stimulus argument is limited by the Popperian paradigm, which involves the generation of all grammatical hypotheses and testing these against actual data. If the hypothesis is falsified, it is discarded. In a way, this method is an anachronism, as the world does not supply sufficient falsifying evidence. This is because a theory's confirmation has to be holistic and inductive.
Death Threats: The Controversy Surrounding Chomsky
Noam Chomsky has received death threats over his critiques of U.S. foreign policy. His name was even on a list created by the notorious Unabomber. However, Chomsky continues to live in the United States. The threat against him is an indication that he continues to attract the ire of many on the right and left.
Controversial Accusations
Chomsky has repeatedly defended communist regimes with false and selective evidence. He has also been accused of supporting a number of militant organizations with antisemitic rhetoric, including Hezbollah. These accusations have been denied by Chomsky.
