Psychologism In Noam Chomsky's Theory (Tentative Critical Remarks)

Abstract

The article concerns philosophical assumptions of linguistics discussed within the framework of a theory of linguistic competence. A methodological reconstruction and a critical analysis is undertaken of the role and place of psychological assumptions in the explanatory system .of the theory of transformational-generative grammars (TTGG). The critical remarks concern a “psychologistic” interpretation of that aspect of linguistic competence which is the object of investigation within TTGG. The author distinguishes between communicative competence and the acquisitional competence in their universal, social and individual aspects. The critique of the “psychologistic” interpretation is based on the hypothesis that the object of investigation of TTGG is the universal aspect of the social competence of language acquisition.