Agency, structure and realism in language and linguistics
This thesis considers the scientific status of linguistics and the historical and contemporary attempts to view linguistics as closely aligned to, or one of, the natural sciences. Such attempts share certain common features that make up what is identified here as the âFormalist Attitude'. The question âwhat is a language?' is central to the discussion of the scientific status of linguistics, so a central task of the thesis is to show how answers to this question display the features of the Formalist Attitude. In particular it is shown that attempts to constrict the theoretical purview of linguistics around a view of language that sustains claims to natural scientific status fail to account for the social ontology of language and the role of speakers within the creation and reproduction of language. A consequence of this failure is an inability to explain important language phenomena such as language change, arbitrariness and knowledge of language, which the alternative conception of language defended here successfully accounts for. âLanguage' is best seen as a power of speakers to communicate with one another, a view which emphasises the motivated, social, reproductive and transformative aspects of actual
Jordan-Baker, Craig
P Philology. Linguistics
Agency, structure and realism in language and linguistics. This thesis considers the scientific status of linguistics and the historical and contemporary attempts to view linguistics as closely aligned to, or one of, the natural sciences. Such attempts share certain common features that make up what is identified here as the âFormalist Attitude'. The question âwhat is a language?' is central to the discussion of the scientific status of linguistics, so a central task of the thesis is to show how answers to this question display the features of the Formalist Attitude. In particular it is shown that attempts to constrict the theoretical purview of linguistics around a view of language that sustains claims to natural scientific status fail to account for the social ontology of language and the role of speakers within the creation and reproduction of language. A consequence of this failure is an inability to explain important language phenomena such as language change, arbitrariness and knowledge of language, which the alternative conception of language defended here successfully accounts for. âLanguage' is best seen as a power of speakers to communicate with one another, a view which emphasises the motivated, social, reproductive and transformative aspects of actual
agency structure realism language linguistics considers scientific status linguistics historical_contemporary attempt view linguistics closely align natural_science attempt share certain common_feature make identified attitude question language central discussion scientific status linguistics central task show answer_question display feature attitude particular show attempt theoretical purview linguistics around view language sustain claim natural scientific status fail_account social ontology language role speaker within creation reproduction language consequence failure inability explain important language phenomena language_change knowledge language alternative conception language defend successfully account for language best see power speaker communicate one_another view emphasis motivate social reproductive transformative aspect actual