Realism and Observation: The View from Generative Grammar

Dupre

doi:10.1017/psa.2022.2

Realism and Observation: The View from Generative Grammar

Dupre

Authors

Dupre

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Standard proposals of scientific anti-realism assume that the methodology of a scientific research program can be endorsed without accepting its metaphysical commitments. I argue that the distinction between competence, the rules governing one’s language faculty, and performance, linguistic behavior, precludes this. Linguistic theories aim to describe competence, not performance, and so must be able to distinguish observations reflective of the former from those reflective of the latter. This classification of data makes sense only against the background of a psychologically realistic view of linguistic theory. So the very methodology of the science commits one to its realistic interpretation.</jats:p>

Acceptance Date	Feb 11, 2022
Publication Date	Feb 11, 2022
Journal	Philosophy of Science
Print ISSN	0031-8248
Publisher	The University of Chicago Press
Pages	1 - 37
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/psa.2022.2
Publisher URL	https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/philosophy-of-science/article/realism-and-observation-the-view-from-generative-grammar/66344E922DFAB0F861842509F143EA03