from empirical side to recipe for disaster

[Detmar Meurers]

Hi,

Mark wrote:

> > In other words, I guess I now believe that if having ANY values or
> > equivalent devices permits simpler, more insightful linguistic analyses,
> > then by all means use them, and let the mathematicians worry about the
> > best way to model them formally,
>...
> whether it is linguistically accurate.  And linguistic accuracy (rather
> than formal precision) should be our goal, I think.

The emphasis on "linguistic accuracy" sounds like an essential (and
neglected) idea since it means taking the empirical side serious. And
arguably most of the understanding of language that we have achieved
as a field lies in those pre-theoretic, empirical generalizations.

But the idea of linguists writing linguistic theories and expecting
somebody else ("the mathematicians") to make sense of what they said
sounds like a recipe for disaster.  I seriously doubt one can can
grasp the consequences and interactions of one's theory without
formulating theories based on an understood formalization - which is
based on having seen as many theories which did not express what their
authors wanted to express as those which did. Also, why should it be
the duty of the reader or mathematicians to figure out whether a
proposal is even consistent? (yes, surprisingly far from everything we
dream up as linguists is even consistent ;-)

So while focusing on the empirical side definitely sounds like a good
thing, if one decides to engage in looking for insights by theorizing
I think one should expect that one learns the tools needed to do so
in a scientific manner (and people like Mark have, of course, more than
set an example in doing so).

Lieben Gruß,
Detmar

--
Detmar Meurers                              Fax: Int + 614 292-8833
The Ohio State University                   Tel: Int + 641 292-0461
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"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly
one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to
suit facts." Sherlock Holmes in "A Scandal in Bohemia" (A. C. Doyle)