Atlas51184 Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 Does anyone know anything about his theories? I once read an article comparing his linguistic theories with some of Rand's views, and I can't find it now. Basically, I'm asking that if you know Chomsky's theories, and can point out some similarities to Objectivism, I'd be much obliged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshRyan Posted February 24, 2004 Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 Chomsky's basic idea that has made him so famous is known as innate grammar. That idea has evolved somewhat during the course of his career from a cruder Cartesian kind of theory where grammar is conceptually innate to a more subtle idea in which grammar is built into the structure of our brain (as he moved from a complete Rationalist dualist to more of a quasi-materialist), but either way it's wrong and has nothing to do with Objectivism so far as I can tell. I would be interested in reading the paper comparing his theory with Rand's views, but I'm kind of skeptical as to whether the author of that article knew what he was talking about (if he actually thinks that they are at all similar). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlas51184 Posted February 24, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2004 I was somewhat aware of his idea of the innate grammatical structure. From what I remember, he said something like "they both had identical views of the purpose of language." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshRyan Posted February 28, 2004 Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 I haven't read all of Chomsky's stuff, but I think I've read a good sampling and I don't think I ever got the impression that his view of the purpose of language was at all similar to Ayn Rand's. Do you remember in what way the article claimed they were identical? I'd have to review my Chomsky, but I don't think he has the slightest notion of the role of language in concept-formation, in "beating the crow," etc. It seems to me that he actually has a pretty typical academic view of the purpose of language--not the Wittgensteinian view popular among relativists, but a basically Cartesian view similar to what's espoused by most of today's Rationalists. So it may be "similar" to Ayn Rand in that it's not viewed as a purely social construction, a la the Wittgensteinians, but I think any similarity probably ends there. If you can find some evidence for some further similarity, however, I'd be very interested in hearing it. But again, without having read it, I'm kind of skeptical as to whether the author of the article you mentioned understands Rand's views of language enough to make an accurate comparison of it to anyone else's views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Dude, were you by any chance referring to this article? "Our Cultural Value-Deprivation" (published in The Voice of Reason) is referenced; specifically, Ayn Rand's approval of Chomsky's method of arguing against Skinner: [Chomsky]employs one of the best methods of dealing with a false theory: he takes it literally.... There are many other notable passages in that review. But its author is Noam Chomsky who, philosophically, is a Cartesian linguist advocating a theory to the effect that man's mental processes are determined by innate ideas--and who, politically, belongs to the New Left. Footnote 3 of that article is also relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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