structural linguistics and formal semantics

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1、StructuralLinguisticsAndFormalSemanticsJaroslavPeregrin[TravauxduCercleLinguistiquedePragueI,Benjamins,Amsterdam,1995;originalpagination]IntroductionThebeginningofthiscenturyhailedanewparadigminlinguistics,theparadigmbroughtaboutbydeSaussure'sCoursdeLinguistiqueGenéráleandsubsequentlyelaboratedbyJak

2、obson,Hjelmslevandotherlinguists.Itseemedthatthelinguisticsofthiscenturywasdestinedtobestructuralistic.However,halfofthecenturylaterabrandnewparadigmwasintroducedbyChomsky'sSyntacticStructuresfollowedbyMontague'sformalizationofsemantics.Thisnewturnhasbroughtlinguisticssurprisinglyclosetomathematicsa

3、ndlogic,andhasfacilitatedadirectpracticalexploitationoflinguistictheorybycomputerscience.Oneoftheclaimsofthispaperisthatthepost-Saussurianstructuralism,bothinlinguisticsandinphilosophy,ispartlybasedonideasquitealientodeSaussure.Themainaimthenistoexplaintheideasdrivingtheformalisticturnoflinguisticsa

4、ndtoinvestigatetheproblemoftheextenttowhichtheycanbeaccommodatedwithintheframeworkoftheSaussurianparadigm.ThemainthesisadvocatedisthatthepointofusingformalismsinlinguisticsismoremethodologicalthansubstantialandthatitcanbewellaccommodatedwithintheconceptualframeworkpositedbydeSaussure.1DeSaussurevs.S

5、tructuralismBeforebeginningtodiscussstructuralism,letusstressthedistinctionbetweenthegenuineviewsofFerdinanddeSaussureandtheteachingsofhisvariousavowedfollowers,betheylinguistsorphilosophers.Infact,deSaussure'stheory,aspresentedinhisCourse,isanaustereandutterlyrationalscientifictheoryarticulatedwith

6、arigourcommonlyassociatedwithlinguistictheoriesofthe'post-Chomskian'period,thoughdifferingfromthembytheabsenceof
$526/$9(5(*5,1formalisms.ManyofthedeSaussure'sfollowerstriedtoturnhisapproachintosomethingquitedifferent:intoatoolofquestioningscientificrationalismoveremphasizingthe"literary"aspectof

7、language.ThisistrueparticularlyofFrenchphilosopherswhousedthestructuralinsighttofighttheanalyticapproachoftheirAnglo-Americancolleagues.ItisbeyonddoubtthatFrenchstructuralismconstitutesoneofthemostsig