Chomsky语言学理论探索的科学精神
我们通过了解梳理形式主义语言学理论代表人物Chomsky的“转换生成语法”的发展脉络，他对语言学理论不断创新，领会乔姆斯基追求人类语言本质的科学精神。
Chomsky, 1928-- 美国语言学家，形式主义语言学理论“转换生成语法”的创始人。1947年，在哈里斯的影响下他开始研究语言学。1951年在宾西法尼亚大学完成硕士论文《现代希伯莱语语素音位学》，1955年又在该校完成博士论文《转换分析》，获得博士学位。从1955年开始，一直在麻省理工学院工作，曾任语言学与哲学系主任，并任认知科学研究中心主任，为语言学界培养了一批有素养的学者。
乔姆斯基是一位富有探索精神的语言学家。最初，他用结构主义的方法研究希伯莱语，后来，发现这种方法有很大的局限性，转而探索新的方法，逐步建立起转换-生成语法，1957年出版的《句法结构》就是这一新方法的标志。这种分析方法风靡全世界，冲垮了结构语言学的支配地位，因而被人们称为"乔姆斯基革命"。后来他又不断丰富和发展转换-生成语法的理论，相继发表了《句法理论要略》、《深层结构、表层结构和语义解释》、《支配和约束论集》等重要著作，对世界语言学的发展方向产生了巨大的影响
乔姆斯基语言学理论的哲学基础：
Philosophically based on rationalism (理性主义), and TG grammar is mathematics-and-psychology based grammar.
理论目标：
to express the process of language acquisition of the native speakers,
to establish the general principles shared by all the human languages: Universal Grammar.
研究对象：
—the competence of a person.
转换生成语法理论模型的演进过程：五个发展阶段
1、经典理论：Classic Theory / SS-model
2、标准理论：Standard Theory / ST-model
3、扩展式标准理论：Extended Standard Theory / EST-model
4、管辖-约束理论：Government-Binding Theory / GB-model
5、最简方案理论：Minimalist Program / MP-model
1、经典理论：Classic Theory / SS-model：
--finite state grammar;
--phrase structure grammar;
--transformational grammar.
Transformational grammar in Syntactic Structures includes:
--Phrase structure (PS) rules;
--Transformational rules;
--Morphophonemic rules.
Kernel sentences are generated when applying obligatory transformational rules to the terminal string.
Other sentences are transformations from kernel sentences.
2、标准理论：Standard Theory / ST-model
Why put forward “Standard Theory”?
(1) to clear up misunderstandings and answer questions put forward about TG, esp. by the structuralists.
Structuralists condemned Chomsky’s theory subjective, unscientific, circular.
Chomsky’s answer: TG gains some insight into the intuition of native speakers.
Structuralists: language acquisition is based on imitation and analogy—by repeated processes of imitations (S-R pattern).
Chomsky’s answer: every native speaker can produce an infinite number of grammatical sentences.
(2) to point out the weaknesses and defects in the early model.
The defect: meaning has no position in SS model.
Chomsky accepted Katz-Postal hypothesis—meaning-preserving transformation (change the form but keep the meaning), but in ST model, meaning is still peripheral to syntax.
(3) to suggest revisions and modifications of the defects:
In the second stage, kernel sentence was replaced by deep structure.
All sentences of the same meaning can be generated from the same deep structure by means of transformations.
PS rules have changed to Base with the addition of Lexicon.
The Semantic component and Phonological component which are interpretive are added.
(4) to call attention to continue the research of Chomsky’s linguistic model.
• Main contents of Standard Theory:
(1) syntax: base + transformational rules
Base rules: PS rules (branching rules + subcategorization rules) + lexicon (preliminary context-free lexical insertion rule)
transformational rules: final lexical insertion T. rules + general T. rules + local T. rules
(2) semantic component (interpretive)
(3) phonological component (interpretive)
3、扩展式标准理论：Extended Standard Theory / EST-model
Criticisms of Chomsky’s Standard Theory come from within the TG grammar,
and the issue is on the relationship between syntax and semantics.
Thus TG grammar divides into:
--interpretative semantics, represented by Chomsky, J. Katz, R. Jackendoff, who emphasize that semantics is just for the purpose of interpretation /explanation and syntax and semantics are two separate parts;
--generative semantics, represented by G. Lakoff, J. Ross and J. McCawley, who believe that syntax and semantics are closely related and the purpose of generation is to connect the semantics expressions with the surface structure.
After taking Jackendoff’s advice, Chomsky revised Standard Theory twice:
First, Extended Standard Theory (EST) on the basis of the publication of Deep Structure, Surface Structure and Semantic Interpretation (1972);
Second, Revised Extended Standard Theory (REST) on the basis of Essays on Form and Interpretation (1977).
People later generally refer to EST Model.
Three backgrounds for EST model:
1) Chomsky’s own publication of Remarks on Nominalization.
Nominalization means changing verbs or adjectives into nouns.
e.g. John amuses the children with his story.
John’s amusement of the children with his story.
Nominalization should not be treated as transformation, because the meaning has changed.
2) Critics of Standard Theory say that deep structure is not deep enough.
Deep structure is just syntactically based.
A semantically based deep structure should be found.
3) Transformational rules in Standard Theory are too powerful, which often results in ungrammatical sentences.
EST includes:
Base: PS rules (X-bar theory) + Lexicaon
Transformational Component:
T. rules + T. conditions
Case Component:
Case-marking rules + Case filters
Deletion Component:
Deletion rules + Deletion condition
Semantic Component (logical Form):
Indexing rules + Binding conditions
4、管辖-约束理论：Government-Binding Theory / GB-model
In April, 1979, in Pisa, Chomsky put forward the Theory of Government and Binding, which is gradually developed by the series of Chomsky’s works:
• Lectures on Government and Binding (1981),
• Some Concepts and Consequences of the Theory of Government and Binding (1982),
• Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin and Use (1986).
In GB model, Chomsky put forward the concept Universal Grammar.
Universal Grammar includes Rule System and System of Principles.
Rule System: Lexicon, Syntactic component, Interpretive component
System of Principles: Seven sub-systems:
X-bar theory, θ-theory, Case theory, Government theory, Binding theory, Bounding theory and Control theory.
• Universal Grammar (UG):
--the system of principles, conditions, and rules that are elements or properties of all human languages…the essence of human language. (Chomsky, 1976:29)
Principles and Parameters Theory:
--language knowledge consists of principles universal to all languages and parameters that vary from one language to another.
• UG theory holds that the speaker knows a set of principles that apply to all languages, and parameters that vary within clearly defined limits from one language to another.
• Acquiring language means learning how these principles apply to a particular language and which value is appropriate for each parameter.
5、最简方案理论：Minimalist Program / MP-model
语言学理论发展的最简目标：
Why Minimalism?
The overall aim of MP continues the tradition of making statements about human languages that are as simple and general as possible.
From the early 1960s, the central objective of TG grammar was to abstract general principles from the complex rule systems devised for particular languages, leaving rules that are simple, constrained in their operation by the UG principles.
The minimalist framework continues this drive for simplification.
The defining characteristic of MP model:
--if the linguistic system needs to be as economical as possible, in terms of both how it represents and generates structures, clearly the smallest possible set of devices to account for language phenomena should be used.
• As for the famous upside-down T-model, MP questions whether all the levels of representation are really necessary.
• Since language is a mapping between sound and meaning, the only absolutely necessary representations are at the interfaces of the meaning and sound components of the linguistic system where language connects, on the one hand to the physical world of sounds, on the other to the mental world of cognition.
In MP model, only LF and PF are really necessary and there must be a lexicon and a ‘computational system’ which forms LF and PF representations from lexical information. Thus, D- and S-structure, together with ‘government’ and X-bar are done away with.
• Simply put:
• The computation system starts off with Numeration (lexical items /lexical resources),
• by operations of Merge and Move
• (Move operations being constrained by the Minimal Link Condition, Procrastinate and Greed),
• to form SDs (Structural Descriptions) and
• proceed to a point: Spell-out, at which the derivation splits into two separate representations: PF and LF.
乔姆斯基语言学理论的发展过程是一个吸取他人合理化建议、去伪成真、不断优化、不断完善、追求对人类语言本质探求的最优、最简的过程，具有不懈的科学探索精神，对现代语言学研究具有重要启示。为我们从事诚信学术学科研究，不断追求真理，脚踏实地做“真科研”树立了学术大师的典范。
