10.1338, Qs: Historical roots of functionalism

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-10-1338. Sun Sep 12 1999. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 10.1338, Qs: Historical roots of functionalism

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1)
Date:  Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:33:36 +0200
From:  Bartsch-Neuenhagen at t-online.de (Suzie & Peter Bartsch)
Subject:  Qs: Historical roots of functionalism and formalism

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Sun, 12 Sep 1999 16:33:36 +0200
From:  Bartsch-Neuenhagen at t-online.de (Suzie & Peter Bartsch)
Subject:  Qs: Historical roots of functionalism and formalism

Dear linguists,

	the controversy between functionalism and formalism is undoubtedly one
of the most interesting and relevant discussions in language philosophy at the
present time.

	This discussion and also the representations of either of these
directions are generally realised from a synchronic point of view.

	I would be interested in a diachronic approach.

	I think of something like Chomsky's search for justification for his
assumptions in "Cartesian Linguistics", to give an example on formalism. Or
Dieter Janik's article "Reperes pour une histoire de la pensée fonctionnelle au
XVIIIe siecle" in "Logos semantikos: studia linguistica in honorem Eugenio
Coseriu. Vol. 1. Geschichte der Sprachphilosophie.- Berlin: de Gruyter, 1981,
77-86.-", in which Janik assumes that historical roots for the functional
approaches of the 20th century can be found in the philosophy of the
enlightenment.

	I would be grateful for any bibliographical reference and also for own
or somewhere collected reflections on historical roots of functionalism and
formalism especially in language sciences and language philosophy. References
related to other sciences and to general epistemological contexts are also
highly welcome.

	I'll summarize.

	Best regards.

	Suzie Bartsch


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Suzie Bartsch
Bartsch-Neuenhagen at t-online.de

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