LING 2504 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Noam Chomsky, Existential Clause, Definite Description
14 Dec 2015
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Frege, chomsky & davidson: pivotal figures in the creation and development of the study of language we see today. Questions concerned: nature and function of language, relationship between language and truth, meaning of meaning, relationship between language and communication. We are born with this structure in our brain that allows us to learn languages brain science. Chomsky encourages us to take the angel"s pov, see things from a distance and remove us from life to see things how they are. Davidson dejects any traditional outlook of language. We ought to disentangle ourselves from the notion that there is a correct way of using a language which is created by a system of rules and principles. We should be concentrating on the incorrect uses, that is what leads to successful communication. Meaning is something we come to through communication, passing theory. Beginning with meaning as reference: the referential theory of meaning and immediate objections.
