Is the faculty of language a “perfect solution” to the interface systems?*

Authors

• Sameul D. Epstein, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• Hisatsugu Kitahara, Keio University, Japan
• T. Daniel Seely, Eastern Michigan University

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

2021

Department/School

English Language and Literature

Publication Title

A Minimalist Theory of Simplest Merge

Abstract

This chapter explores the notion of perfection in language design and how simplification is essential to “perfection.” Through a selective history of syntactic theory (ending with Chomsky’s recent work), the successive innovations that moved toward a deeper explanation to achieve “perfection” in language design are discussed. Additionally, there is clarification of how the notion of “perfection” enters into the Minimalist Program and its efforts to reduce language and construction-specific rules to more general rules of UG, which in turn are subjected to 3rd factor (partial) reduction

Comments

T. D. Seely is a faculty member in EMU's Department of English Language and Literature.

Link to Published Version

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Recommended Citation

Epstein, S. D., Kitahara, H., & Seely, T. D. (2021). Is the faculty of language a “perfect solution” to the interface systems?*. In S. D. Epstein, H. Kitahara, & T. D. Seely (Eds.), A minimalist theory of simplest merge. Routledge.