This commentary discusses some aspects of Haider’s model of grammar change that are problematic from the perspective of usage-based approaches to language change. These aspects include (i) the postulated equivalence between intentionality and teleology, (ii) the metaphorical nature of Darwinism when applied to other domains, and (iii) the nature of explanations of language change. With respect to (i), it is argued that equating intentionality with teleology disregards the fact that innovation in grammar is not unprincipled like in genes. With respect to (ii), the question is whether a comparison between as different concepts as human behaviors/brains and genes/populations can be considered as more than a metaphor (however powerful). Finally, with respect to (iii), a number of diachronic-typological studies are discussed that concur to suggest that variation in speakers’ verbal productions is largely adaptive, and therefore selection operates on a skewed pool of variants in which non-adaptive/dysfunctional variants are a minority (if any).
{"title":"Variation in language use is different from variation in genes","authors":"A. Sansó","doi":"10.1075/elt.00027.san","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/elt.00027.san","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This commentary discusses some aspects of Haider’s model of grammar change that are problematic from the\u0000 perspective of usage-based approaches to language change. These aspects include (i) the postulated equivalence between\u0000 intentionality and teleology, (ii) the metaphorical nature of Darwinism when applied to other domains, and (iii) the nature of\u0000 explanations of language change. With respect to (i), it is argued that equating intentionality with teleology disregards the fact\u0000 that innovation in grammar is not unprincipled like in genes. With respect to (ii), the question is whether a comparison between\u0000 as different concepts as human behaviors/brains and genes/populations can be considered as more than a metaphor (however\u0000 powerful). Finally, with respect to (iii), a number of diachronic-typological studies are discussed that concur to suggest that\u0000 variation in speakers’ verbal productions is largely adaptive, and therefore selection operates on a skewed pool of variants in\u0000 which non-adaptive/dysfunctional variants are a minority (if any).","PeriodicalId":412351,"journal":{"name":"Biological Evolution","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116687036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper discusses Hubert Haider’s target-article “Grammar change: A case of Darwinian cognitive evolution”. I show why such an article is fascinating (and unconventional), although I will mainly concentrate on several disagreements with Haider and will suggest alternative views to those contended by this scholar. My discussion will highlight five main issues: (1) Haider assumes a purely Neo-Darwinian (i.e. genocentric) view of evolution and inheritance, lacking a more pluralistic approach; (2) Haider rejects the idea of language as a biological phenomenon, while at the same time he seems to assume several characteristics related to a biologically seated trait; (3) as opposed to Haider’s suggestion, the computational system does not need to be language-specific; (4) Haider’s divide between the procedural and declarative components of grammar is perhaps too strict regarding (grammatical) change; and (5) Haider considers that there is no scientific way of deciding the question of language origins and evolution and that complex grammars are too recent. However, I show that a language-like computational power (and perhaps complex grammars) already existed many thousands of years ago.
{"title":"On evolution, change, and beyond","authors":"V. M. Longa","doi":"10.1075/elt.00025.lon","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/elt.00025.lon","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This paper discusses Hubert Haider’s target-article “Grammar change: A case of Darwinian cognitive evolution”. I\u0000 show why such an article is fascinating (and unconventional), although I will mainly concentrate on several disagreements with\u0000 Haider and will suggest alternative views to those contended by this scholar. My discussion will highlight five main issues: (1) Haider assumes a purely Neo-Darwinian (i.e. genocentric) view of evolution and inheritance, lacking a more pluralistic approach;\u0000 (2) Haider rejects the idea of language as a biological phenomenon, while at the same time he seems to assume several\u0000 characteristics related to a biologically seated trait; (3) as opposed to Haider’s suggestion, the computational system does not\u0000 need to be language-specific; (4) Haider’s divide between the procedural and declarative components of grammar is perhaps too\u0000 strict regarding (grammatical) change; and (5) Haider considers that there is no scientific way of deciding the question of\u0000 language origins and evolution and that complex grammars are too recent. However, I show that a language-like computational power\u0000 (and perhaps complex grammars) already existed many thousands of years ago.","PeriodicalId":412351,"journal":{"name":"Biological Evolution","volume":"95 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114078700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In response to the responses","authors":"H. Haider","doi":"10.1075/elt.00029.hai","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/elt.00029.hai","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":412351,"journal":{"name":"Biological Evolution","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125539441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haider’s target paper presents a fresh and inspiring look at the nature of grammar change. The overall impression of his approach is very convincing, especially his insistence on the point that language was not selected for communication – hence it is no adaptation to communicative use. Nevertheless, I think three topics are in need of further discussion and elaboration. First, I will discuss the question whether Haider’s conception of Darwinian selection covers all aspects of grammar change. Second, I will consider the question of whether an approach that dispenses with UG (as Haider’s does) can explain why grammars are the way they are. Third, I will question Haider’s equation of grammar with the genotype and of speech with the phenotype and develop an alternative and more appropriate proposal where, among others, speech corresponds to behavior.
{"title":"Darwinian language evolution","authors":"H. Weiß","doi":"10.1075/elt.00026.wei","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/elt.00026.wei","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Haider’s target paper presents a fresh and inspiring look at the nature of grammar change. The overall impression\u0000 of his approach is very convincing, especially his insistence on the point that language was not selected for communication –\u0000 hence it is no adaptation to communicative use. Nevertheless, I think three topics are in need of further discussion and\u0000 elaboration. First, I will discuss the question whether Haider’s conception of Darwinian selection covers all aspects of grammar\u0000 change. Second, I will consider the question of whether an approach that dispenses with UG (as Haider’s does) can explain why\u0000 grammars are the way they are. Third, I will question Haider’s equation of grammar with the genotype and of speech with the\u0000 phenotype and develop an alternative and more appropriate proposal where, among others, speech corresponds to behavior.","PeriodicalId":412351,"journal":{"name":"Biological Evolution","volume":"127 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130257907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Approaching language change within a Darwinian framework constitutes a long-standing tradition within the literature of diachronic linguistics. However, many publications remain vague, omitting conceptual details or missing necessary terminology. For example, phylogenetic trees of language families are regularly compared to biological speciation, but definitions on mechanisms of inheritance, i.e. how linguistic information is transferred between individuals and cohorts, or on the linguistic correlates to genotype and phenotype are often missing or lacking. In light of this, Haider’s attempts to develop this approach into a theoretically more precise position, closely mirroring principles of Darwinian natural selection in the dimension of diachronic grammatical change, but contrasting this with non-Darwinian lexical change. He draws a comparison to viral replication, essentially positing that grammar variants act as mental viruses, competing for replication in new hosts, i.e. children during critical periods of language acquisition. Haider proposes that in light of this competition for replication, the unconscious fixation of an individual’s grammar leads to diachronic grammatical change largely mirroring Darwinian natural selection. Despite the intuitive appeal this mode of reasoning may feature, the following response paper identifies and discusses a suit of shortcomings to this conceptualization. Some problems arise from underspecified theoretical notions, others due to the incomplete or inaccurate adoption of biological principles, and yet more through a partial incompatibility with empirical data. These criticisms do not amount to a dismissal of the Darwinian framework Haider is following, but to a rejection of Haider’s current position. Albeit it remains unclear if a truly Darwinian approach to language change can be reached, suggestions on how Haider’s theoretical notions could be further developed are made and pertinent efforts may ultimately lead to a productive theory.
{"title":"On conceptualizing grammatical change in a Darwinian framework","authors":"Michael Breyl, E. Leiss","doi":"10.1075/elt.00028.bre","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/elt.00028.bre","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Approaching language change within a Darwinian framework constitutes a long-standing tradition within the\u0000 literature of diachronic linguistics. However, many publications remain vague, omitting conceptual details or missing necessary\u0000 terminology. For example, phylogenetic trees of language families are regularly compared to biological speciation, but definitions\u0000 on mechanisms of inheritance, i.e. how linguistic information is transferred between individuals and cohorts, or on the linguistic\u0000 correlates to genotype and phenotype are often missing or lacking. In light of this, Haider’s attempts to develop this\u0000 approach into a theoretically more precise position, closely mirroring principles of Darwinian natural selection in the dimension\u0000 of diachronic grammatical change, but contrasting this with non-Darwinian lexical change. He draws a comparison to viral\u0000 replication, essentially positing that grammar variants act as mental viruses, competing for replication in new hosts, i.e.\u0000 children during critical periods of language acquisition. Haider proposes that in light of this competition for replication, the\u0000 unconscious fixation of an individual’s grammar leads to diachronic grammatical change largely mirroring Darwinian natural\u0000 selection. Despite the intuitive appeal this mode of reasoning may feature, the following response paper identifies and discusses\u0000 a suit of shortcomings to this conceptualization. Some problems arise from underspecified theoretical notions, others due to the\u0000 incomplete or inaccurate adoption of biological principles, and yet more through a partial incompatibility with empirical data.\u0000 These criticisms do not amount to a dismissal of the Darwinian framework Haider is following, but to a rejection of Haider’s\u0000 current position. Albeit it remains unclear if a truly Darwinian approach to language change can be reached, suggestions on how\u0000 Haider’s theoretical notions could be further developed are made and pertinent efforts may ultimately lead to a productive\u0000 theory.","PeriodicalId":412351,"journal":{"name":"Biological Evolution","volume":"204 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132935822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Structurally, cognitive and biological evolution are highly similar. Random variation and constant but blind selection drive evolution within biology as well as within cognition. However, evolution of cognitive programs, and in particular of grammar systems, is not a subclass of biological evolution but a domain of its own. The abstract evolutionary principles, however, are akin in cognitive and biological evolution. In other words, insights gained in the biological domain can be cautiously applied to the cognitive domain. This paper claims that the cognitively encapsulated, i.e. consciously inaccessible, aspects of grammars as cognitively represented systems, that is, the procedural and structural parts of grammars, are subject to, and results of, Darwinian evolution, applying to a domain-specific cognitive program. Other, consciously accessible aspects of language do not fall under Darwinian evolutionary principles, but are mostly instances of social changes.
{"title":"Grammar change","authors":"H. Haider","doi":"10.1075/elt.00024.hai","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/elt.00024.hai","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Structurally, cognitive and biological evolution are highly similar. Random variation and constant but blind\u0000 selection drive evolution within biology as well as within cognition. However, evolution of cognitive programs, and in particular\u0000 of grammar systems, is not a subclass of biological evolution but a domain of its own. The abstract evolutionary principles,\u0000 however, are akin in cognitive and biological evolution. In other words, insights gained in the biological domain can be\u0000 cautiously applied to the cognitive domain. This paper claims that the cognitively encapsulated, i.e. consciously inaccessible,\u0000 aspects of grammars as cognitively represented systems, that is, the procedural and structural parts of grammars, are subject to,\u0000 and results of, Darwinian evolution, applying to a domain-specific cognitive program. Other, consciously accessible aspects of\u0000 language do not fall under Darwinian evolutionary principles, but are mostly instances of social changes.","PeriodicalId":412351,"journal":{"name":"Biological Evolution","volume":"172 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121420471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-11-30DOI: 10.1017/9781139016018.010
A. Faber
Thank you very much for reading molecules and evolution. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have look numerous times for their chosen readings like this molecules and evolution, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some harmful virus inside their desktop computer. molecules and evolution is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our books collection hosts in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Kindly say, the molecules and evolution is universally compatible with any devices to read.
{"title":"Molecules and Evolution","authors":"A. Faber","doi":"10.1017/9781139016018.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139016018.010","url":null,"abstract":"Thank you very much for reading molecules and evolution. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have look numerous times for their chosen readings like this molecules and evolution, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some harmful virus inside their desktop computer. molecules and evolution is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our books collection hosts in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Kindly say, the molecules and evolution is universally compatible with any devices to read.","PeriodicalId":412351,"journal":{"name":"Biological Evolution","volume":"56 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116376209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：