David Bourget (Western Ontario)
David Chalmers (ANU, NYU)
Rafael De Clercq
Jack Alan Reynolds
Learn more about PhilPapers
Journal of Logic, Language and Information 14 (2):235-251 (2005)
An explanation for the uncertain progress of formalist linguistics is sought in an examination of the concept of syntax. The idea of analyzing language formally was made possible by developments in 20th century logic. It has been pointed out by many that the analogy between natural language and a formal system may be imperfect, but the objection made here is that the very concept of syntax, when applied to any non-abstract system of communication, is flawed as it is commonly used. Syntax is properly defined with respect to an individual transformation rule that might be applied to some message. Collections of syntax rules, however, are inevitably due to categories imposed by an observer, and do not correspond to functional features found in non-abstract systems. As such, these categories should not be relied upon as aids to understanding any natural system.
|Keywords||information semantics Shannon syntax|
|Categories||categorize this paper)|
Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server
Configure custom proxy (use this if your affiliation does not provide a proxy)
|Through your library|
References found in this work BETA
No references found.
Citations of this work BETA
No citations found.
Similar books and articles
Kent Johnson & Ernie Lepore (2002). Does Syntax Reveal Semantics? A Case Study of Complex Demonstratives. Noûs 36 (s16):17 - 41.
Terence E. Horgan & John L. Tienson (2006). Cognition Needs Syntax but Not Rules. In Robert J. Stainton (ed.), Contemporary Debates in Cognitive Science. Malden MA: Blackwell Publishing 147--158.
Denis Bouchard (1995). The Semantics of Syntax: A Minimalist Approach to Grammar. University of Chicago Press.
Richard Wiese (2003). Linear Order and its Place in Grammar. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 26 (6):693-694.
Petr Sgall (ed.) (1984). Contributions to Functional Syntax, Semantics, and Language Comprehension. J. Benjamins Pub. Co..
Jacques Bouveresse (2009). Logical Syntax, Quasi-Syntax, and Philosophy. In Pierre Wagner (ed.), Carnap's Logical Syntax of Language. Palgrave Macmillan
Paul J. M. Jorion (1999). Syntax, or, the Embryogenesis of Meaning. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 22 (6):1027-1028.
Susumu Kuno (1987). Functional Syntax: Anaphora, Discourse, and Empathy. University of Chicago Press.
Added to index2009-01-28
Total downloads5 ( #338,493 of 1,699,801 )
Recent downloads (6 months)2 ( #269,935 of 1,699,801 )
How can I increase my downloads?