Work

The Poverty of the Stimulus Argument

Year: 2001

Type: article

Abstract: Noam Chomsky's Poverty of the Stimulus Argument is one of the most famous and controversial arguments in the study of language and the mind. Though widely endorsed by linguists, the argument has met with much resistance in philosophy. Unfortunately, philosophical critics have often failed to fully appreciate the power of the argument. In this paper, we provide a systematic presentation of the Poverty of the Stimulus Argument, clarifying its structure, content, and evidential base. We defend the argument against a variety of philosophical criticisms, new and old, and argue that the Poverty of the Stimulus Argument continues to deserve its guiding role in the study of language and the mind.

Source: The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

DOI: 10.1093/bjps/52.2.217

Authors: Stephen Laurence, Eric Margolis

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Rice University, Arts and Humanities Research Board

OpenAlex ID: W2000709163

FWCI: 88.69

Cites: 62

Cited by: 286

Related to: 10