The Minimalist Program
The Minimalist Program
The development of the Minimalist Program (MP), Noam Chomsky's most recent generative model of linguistics, has been highly influential over the last twenty years. It has had significant implications not only for the conduct of linguistic analysis itself, but also for our understanding of the status of linguistics as a science. The reflections and analyses in this book contain insights into the strengths and the weaknesses of the MP. These include: a clarification of the content of the Strong Minimalist Thesis (SMT); a synthesis of Chomsky's linguistic and interdisciplinary discourses; and an analysis of the notion of optimal computation from conceptual, empirical and philosophical perspectives. This book will encourage graduate students and researchers in linguistics to reflect on the foundations of their discipline, and the interdisciplinary nature of the topics explored will appeal to those studying biolinguistics, neurolinguistics, the philosophy of language and other related disciplines.
- Presents a clear and even-handed treatment of the strengths and weaknesses of Chomsky's biolinguistics
- Provides students of linguistics with in-depth discussions of the relevant areas of philosophy, biology, and history of physics, which will benefit linguists whose training has not included these fields
- An interdisciplinary book which will be of interest to scholars outside linguistics, including physicists, biologists, psychologists and philosophers of science and mind
Reviews & endorsements
"A fascinating exploration of core concepts in Chomsky's Minimalist Programme. I hugely enjoyed Al-Mutairi’s fresh look at the issues, even where I disagreed with him. Thought provoking and fun."
David Adger, Queen Mary, University of London
"The depth and critical rigour with which Al-Mutairi exposes both Chomsky’s work and those arguments that have been brought against the strong minimalist theory will ensure that linguistics researchers and new students gain a detailed insight into the groundbreaking work that has already been done for them. They will also discover how far the ramifications of linguistics reach into other disciplines. Recommended."
Alex Waller, The Biologist
Product details
December 2019Paperback
9781108810425
239 pages
230 × 150 × 12 mm
0.4kg
8 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. The minimalist program
- 3. The strong minimalist thesis (SMT)
- 4. The SMT in an evolutionary context
- 5. The SMT as an explanatory thesis
- 6. Optimal computation and multiple realisation
- 7. Conclusion.
