Abstract
This paper is based on the theoretical assumption that a model on language’s nature should be, first of all, a plausible model from an evolutionary point of view. The evolution plausibility constraint should be regarded as the decisive criterion for assessing the acceptability of a certain model of language. Moving on this assumption, the main aim of this study is to evaluate the evolutionary plausibility of Minimalism or Minimalist Program (MP) – the most recent generative approach on language developed by Noam Chomsky since the early 90’s.
By taking an evolutionary perspective, most scholars defend the thesis that the pre-minimalist models are highly problematical (e.g. Deacon 1997; Christiansen, Chater 2008). However, Chomsky (2010) has recently written that the PM is of great interest to those who are concerned with the question of the evolution of language. Against this conclusion, I argue that even the PM does not pass the test of the evolutionary plausibility and therefore it also must be considered unacceptable.
Titolo tradotto del contributo | [Autom. eng. transl.] How evolutionarily plausible is minimalism? |
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Lingua originale | Italian |
Titolo della pubblicazione ospite | Mente, linguaggio, evoluzione. Atti del IV Convegno del CODISCO |
Editor | ERICA COSENTINO, MARIA GRAZIA ROSSI |
Pagine | 277-287 |
Numero di pagine | 11 |
Stato di pubblicazione | Pubblicato - 2011 |
Keywords
- Evolutionary plausibility
- Minimalism Program
- Universal Grammar