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From: iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Ivan A Derzhanski)
Subject: Re: What's innate? (Was Re: Artificial Neural Networks and Cognition
Message-ID: <D3sIEt.6CE@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, UK
References: <3h67n3$d4r@mp.cs.niu.edu> <D3nA3L.GKD@hpl.hp.com> <3h8s2u$pti@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 15:16:01 GMT
Lines: 36
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.ai.philosophy:25423 sci.lang:35537

In article <3h8s2u$pti@mp.cs.niu.edu> rickert@cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:
>In <D3nA3L.GKD@hpl.hp.com> curry@hpl.hp.com (Bo Curry) writes:
>>I find the work on Creoles, both spoken and signed, to be very
>>strong suggestive evidence, at the very least.
>
>This evidence is completely compatible with the idea that language is
>used for communicating particular types of information, and that the
>syntax chosen is a particularly simple way of meeting this
>communication objective.

I wouldn't dispute the first half of this idea, but I don't see what
the second has to do with reality.

>>Chomsky's work includes Germanic, Asian, and many other languages.
>>It is just those approximations, and ultimate capabilities,
>>which are *common to all known languages* which provide evidence
>>for universal grammar. [...]
>
>Germans, Asians, and others all have to eat food, drink water,
>find shelter, etc.

Those are all innate properties.  Is grammar innate in the same way,
and to the same extent?  I say it is.

>[...] there is a lot of commonality in the types of information that
>they need to communicate.  Why would it be surprising that there is
>some commonality in the ways that they carry out this communication?

Simply because there is no clear connexion between the shared contents
and the shared form of communication.

-- 
`I'm sendin a flood tae pit an end tae it aw.  But dinny worry yersel, Noah.'
Ivan A Derzhanski (iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk)    (J Stuart, _Auld Testament Tales_)
* Centre for Cognitive Science,  2 Buccleuch Place,   Edinburgh EH8 9LW,  UK
* Cowan House E113, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Pk Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5BD, UK
