Dobler, Tamara. Ever the Twain shall Meet? Chomsky and Wittgenstein on Linguistic Competence
2013, Croatian Journal of Philosophy, 13(2), pp. 293–311.
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Added by: Veronica CibotaruAbstract:
It is a dominant view in the philosophical literature on the later Wittgenstein that Chomsky’s approach to the investigation of natural language stands in stark contrast to Wittgenstein’s, and that their respective conceptions of language and linguistic understanding are irreconcilable. The aim in this paper is to show that this view is largely incorrect and that the two approaches to language and its use are indeed compatible, notwithstanding their distinctive foci of interest. The author argues that there is a significant correspondence in at least five different areas of their work, and that once we pay attention to these there will be less temptation to see Wittgenstein and Chomsky as enemies.
Comment: This is a useful introduction to both later Wittgenstein’s and Chomsky’s views on language, while also offering a new perspective that can serve as further or specialized reading for students.
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