A conceptual analysis of mechanisms in the Minimalist Program: An exploration into the conceptual foundations of the unification problem

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02587
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: English linguistics
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Masanobu Ueda 北海道大学, メディア・コミュニケーション研究院, 特任教授 (30133797)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 生物言語学 / メカニズム / 統合問題 / 因果性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study has revealed that the conceptual nature of mechanisms embodied in the linguistic theories from the early generative grammar to the Minimalist Program might be at least partly characterized as being different from that of mechanisms embodied in theories in other biological sciences, such as behavioral biology, with respect to the notion of causality. In addition, it is also made clear that for the better understanding of the conceptual foundations of the unification problem, it is necessary to clarify such notions as idealization, causality, and reality, which constitute the important part of the scientific method Galileo introduced in his science of motion.

Free Research Field

生物言語学