LINGUIST List 10.1338

Sun Sep 12 1999

Qs: Historical roots of functionalism

Editor for this issue: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar <aristarlinguistlist.org>

We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is then strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list. This policy was instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.

Directory

  1. Suzie & Peter Bartsch, Qs: Historical roots of functionalism and formalism

Message 1: Qs: Historical roots of functionalism and formalism

 Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:33:36 +0200
From: Suzie & Peter Bartsch <Bartsch-Neuenhagent-online.de>
Subject: Qs: Historical roots of functionalism and formalism

Dear linguists,

	the controversy between functionalism and formalism is undoubtedly one 
of the most interesting and relevant discussions in language philosophy at the 
present time.

	This discussion and also the representations of either of these 
directions are generally realised from a synchronic point of view. 

	I would be interested in a diachronic approach. 

	I think of something like Chomsky's search for justification for his 
assumptions in "Cartesian Linguistics", to give an example on formalism. Or 
Dieter Janik's article "Reperes pour une histoire de la pens�e fonctionnelle au 
XVIIIe siecle" in "Logos semantikos: studia linguistica in honorem Eugenio 
Coseriu. Vol. 1. Geschichte der Sprachphilosophie.- Berlin: de Gruyter, 1981, 
77-86.-", in which Janik assumes that historical roots for the functional 
approaches of the 20th century can be found in the philosophy of the 
enlightenment. 

	I would be grateful for any bibliographical reference and also for own 
or somewhere collected reflections on historical roots of functionalism and 
formalism especially in language sciences and language philosophy. References 
related to other sciences and to general epistemological contexts are also 
highly welcome.

	I'll summarize.

	Best regards.

	Suzie Bartsch


****************************************************************************
Suzie Bartsch
Bartsch-Neuenhagent-online.de
Mail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue