LIN2590

History and philosophy of linguistics

Proposed to be offered next in 1999

Keith Allan

8 points
* 3 hours per week
* Second semester
* Clayton

Objectives Upon completion of this subject students should be able to be familiar with ideas about what language is, in order to evaluate traditional, structuralist, transformational-generative, functionalist, and cognitive theories of grammar; know the history of language analysis: the ancient, medieval, and post-Renaissance conceptions of grammar that compose the western classical tradition to which modern linguistics owes a very clear debt; distinguish the philosophical school of grammar which gave rise to modern theoretical linguistics, from the pedagogical school which has given rise to applied linguistics; show how modern linguistics developed from investigations into the origins and interrelations of Indo-European languages to merge with a mushrooming interest in the non-Indo-European languages of Native Americans and the peoples of former European colonies in Africa and Asia; recognise the contribution played in the development of modern linguistics by technological advances in the twentieth century; evaluate competing philosophies of current linguistics: functionalist, conceptualist, cognitive, and realist.

Synopsis We begin by discussing the place of linguistics within the philosophy of science. We seek answers to questions such as `What is a linguistic theory?' `How do we evaluate a linguistic description?' `What constitutes an explanation within the discipline of linguistics?' We will then turn to the history of linguistic analysis, and look at the ancient, medieval, and post-Renaissance conceptions of grammar that compose the classical tradition to which modern linguistics owes a very clear debt. We observe that throughout history there has been a philosophical school of grammar - which gave rise to modern theoretical linguistics, and a pedagogical school - giving rise to applied linguistics. Modern linguistics developed from the investigations of the neo-grammarians into the origins and interrelations of Indo-European languages, which eventually merged with a mushrooming interest in the non-Indo-European languages of Native Americans and the peoples of former European colonies in Africa and Asia. This interest was partly motivated by the fascination of exotic cultures and languages, and partly by ideas for literacy and education in indigenous languages. The development of linguistics was spurred on by the technological advances of the twentieth century that facilitated detailed study of speech.

Assessment Class participation, class paper (1000 words): 15%
* Essay (5000 words): 85%