Lakoff on Linguistics and Natural Logic
Abstract
The paper examines and criticises Lakoff's notions of a natural logic and of a generative semantics described in terms of logic, the author argues that the relationship of these notions to logic as normally understood is unclear, but one author suggests, in the course of the paper, a number of possible interpretations of his thesis of generative semantics. The author argues further that on these interpretations the thesis (of Generative Semantics) is false, unless it be taken as a mere notational variant of Chomskyan theory. The author argues, too, that Lakoff's work may provide a service in that it constitutes a reduction ad absurdum of the derivational paradigm of modern linguistics; and shows, inadvertently, that only a system with the ability to reconsider its own inferences can do the job that Lakoff sets up for linguistic enquiry----that is to say, only an artificial intelligence system.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1972
- Accession Number
- AD0748607
Entities
People
- Yorick Wilks
Organizations
- Stanford University