The Debate between Lin and Kim: Rethinking Universal Grammar
Keywords:
Universal Grammar, Research method, Refutation, Scientific theoryAbstract
Concerning the problem of language acquisition, Chomsky proposes universal grammar, which is the property shared by all human beings, and there is an innate language faculty in our brain. However, Lin tries to refute Chomsky by pointing out that there is a fatal problem with Chomsky’s research method; then, Kim tries to refute Lin’s argument and repudiates all the methods in empirical science. This article will try to judge whether their arguments are reasonable or not and explore what is truly wrong with Chomsky’s universal grammar.
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