The Minimalist Program
The Nature and Plausibility of Chomsky's Biolinguistics

An evaluation of Chomsky's work from the perspectives of linguistics, evolution of language, history of physics, and philosophy of mind.

Fahad Rashed Al-Mutairi (Author)

9781108810425, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 December 2019

239 pages, 8 b/w illus.
23 x 15 x 1.2 cm, 0.4 kg

'The depth and critical rigour with which Al-Mutairi exposes both Chomsky's work and those arguments that have been brought against the strong minimalist theory will ensure that linguistics researchers and new students gain a detailed insight into the groundbreaking work that has already been done for them. They will also discover how far the ramifications of linguistics reach into other disciplines. Recommended.' Alex Waller, The Biologist

The development of the Minimalist Program (MP), Noam Chomsky's most recent generative model of linguistics, has been highly influential over the last twenty years. It has had significant implications not only for the conduct of linguistic analysis itself, but also for our understanding of the status of linguistics as a science. The reflections and analyses in this book contain insights into the strengths and the weaknesses of the MP. These include: a clarification of the content of the Strong Minimalist Thesis (SMT); a synthesis of Chomsky's linguistic and interdisciplinary discourses; and an analysis of the notion of optimal computation from conceptual, empirical and philosophical perspectives. This book will encourage graduate students and researchers in linguistics to reflect on the foundations of their discipline, and the interdisciplinary nature of the topics explored will appeal to those studying biolinguistics, neurolinguistics, the philosophy of language and other related disciplines.

1. Introduction
2. The minimalist program
3. The strong minimalist thesis (SMT)
4. The SMT in an evolutionary context
5. The SMT as an explanatory thesis
6. Optimal computation and multiple realisation
7. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Evolution [PSAJ], Biology, life sciences [PS], Physics [PH], Philosophy of science [PDA], Cognition & cognitive psychology [JMR], Philosophy of mind [HPM], Philosophy [HP], Grammar, syntax & morphology [CFK], Philosophy of language [CFA], Linguistics [CF]