Aspects of the Theory of Syntax
by Noam Chomsky

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Book Reviews of Aspects of the Theory of Syntax

Book Review: The final account
Summary: 5 Stars

Has it stood the test of time?

The fundamental distinction in the book is between 'competence' and 'performance.' We can have a hard, mathematical and super precise science of competence, but not of performance. Performance, at the time this book was written, was a "mystery." Chomsky went on to claim that it would always be a mystery.

As it turns out, Chomsky's distinction (which is fairly isomorphic to Kant's position of "knowledge" and "faith," whether he knows it or not) has turned out wrong. Sociobiologists have basically made "Orwell's problem" (why do we know so little about such obvious stuff?) into a permanent fact of human nature. It is effectively the case that all societies have elites, they all have crime, and they all exercise violence to lesser or greater degrees. And if you read Chomsky's work in politics (all of which is in the realm of performance or Kantian faith) he comes out and says it: every state that has ever existed is run by gangsters.

What of the idea of 'competence'? It will probably last a long time, it may very well be the equivalent of mass in physics. But there are problems with it. Namely that it treats the person who applies it and is alive as though he or she is dead. It is essentially a self-fulfilling prophecy that is derivate on the Universal self fulfilling prophecy and tries to usurp the Universal's power. My guess is that it is like Freud's Oedipus. It has overwhelming heuristic and pragmatic value, but no ontological power.

(What is it with these Jews? They come up with the best ideas!)

Summary of Aspects of the Theory of Syntax

Chomsky proposes a reformulation of the theory of transformational generative grammar that takes recent developments in the descriptive analysis of particular languages into account.

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