Reflections on Language Summary (8/10)

“Reflections on Language” was published in 1975 and contains some of Chomsky’s most important work on the nature of language. In it, he argues that language is an innate human ability and that we are born with a “language acquisition device” (LAD) which enables us to learn language. He also presents his famous “theory of mind,” which holds that certain aspects of language are unique to humans and cannot be understood by reference to animal communication systems. This book had a major impact on philosophy and cognitive science and continues to be highly influential today.

Chomsky argues that language is an innate quality which allows humans to create symbols and combine them in ways that other animals cannot. This ability enables us to communicate our thoughts and experiences with one another, and understand the world around us.

Chomsky begins by discussing the work of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure. Saussure distinguished between two types of linguistic elements: signifiers, which are the physical sounds or marks used to represent a concept, and signified, which are the concepts themselves. For example, the word “dog” is a signifier that represents the concept of a canine animal. Saussure also argued that signs are arbitrary, meaning there is no inherent connection between a signifier and its signified. The word “dog” could just as easily represent the concept of a feline animal; it’s only through convention that we have agreed to associate it with canines.

From there, Chomsky goes on to discuss how language acquisition works. He argues that all children go through the same stages of linguistic development, regardless of their native language. This suggests that language acquisition is governed by universal grammar, a set of rules which are hard-wired into our brains from birth. This theory has been supported by numerous studies which have shown that children display similar patterns of behavior when acquiring their first language(s).

Chomsky then turns his attention to pidgins and creoles. Pidgins are languages that develop when two groups of people who do not share a common language come into contact with one another. Creoles are languages that develop from pidgins when they become the native tongue of a community. Chomsky argues that pidgins and creoles share many similarities with one another, which suggests that they too are governed by universal grammar.

Finally, Chomsky discusses the influence of environment on language development. He argues that while environment plays a role in shaping how we use language, it does not determine what we can say or think about. This is because our capacity for thought is not limited by our immediate surroundings; rather, it is determined by our capacity for abstract thought, which is made possible by language.

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