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Chomsky's Cognitive Revolution
Noam Chomsky, born Avram Noam Chomsky, is an American linguist who changed the way language was envisioned. He treated it as, stated from his Britannica biography, "...uniquely human, biologically based cognitive capacity." Throughout his studies in cognitive psychology and the different philosophies of the mind and language, he helped create what is widely known as The Cognitive Revolution. This in turn created brain imaging machines that tracked the widespread growth and research. -
Persistence is Key
When Chomsky did not climb on board with Goodman's approach at language being stimulated through behaviorism from one's environment, he denounced Chomsky's works. These actions were shared with other philosophers around the world who held their own ideals and although some of them did agree with Chomsky, many continued to resist them. That did not deter him. He continued to further his developing research, stating, "...children... seem to know more than they have been taught." It was innate. -
The Contrast of Goodman
Chomsky continued to study in his career field, this time alongside Languages of Art philosopher, Nelson Goodman. Both believed that the mind was a great work of art and capable of language conformity, but did share differences. Goodman believed that at birth, the mind was a tabula rasa, or blank state, and would eventually develop from interacting with the environment. Chomsky on the other hand, believed the mind was capable of withholding the language until it was self stimulated. -
Chomsky's Grand Contribution
Noam Chomsky's exploration of linguistic theory makes a huge contribution to science because he dives into the possibility that was often disregarded. He often called them parameters and principles, where he believed they were "...readily set upon the child's exposure to a minimal amount of linguistic data." Chomsky believed that language was harbored in the mind and he significantly encouraged other philosophers to develop their own theories of linguistics and challenge the evidence provided. -
Resources
McGilvray, James A. “Noam Chomsky.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Dec. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Noam-Chomsky. Hornstein, Norbert. “THE NOAM CHOMSKY WEBSITE.” The Noam Chomsky Website, 1998, chomsky.info/1998. Dog, Alley. “Cognitive Revolution.” Cognitive Revolution Definition | Psychology Glossary, 2020, www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Cognitive+Revolution. -
Additional Resource
Youtube video: “The Concept of Language.” YouTube, uploaded by uwvideo, 12 Mar 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdUbIlwHRkY
