Steven Pinker on Noam Chomsky's theory of Linguistics & Politics (Part 2)

Steven Pinker reflects on his admiration and disagreements with Noam Chomsky.

Full interview: http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/160/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Steven
• Pinker
• Noam
• Chomsky
• Linguistics
• Philosophy
• Language
• Anarchism

[Lunis]

Video is slightly out of sync, I will try to re-code and re-upload it.

[jutfrank]

"it's not bad to be wrong in a field"

[grubbytron]

Can't hear it on a laptop!

[Keinlicht]

@mightyafrowhitey What is natural selection but reproductive competition?

Without sexual selection, biological evolution is meaningless, isn't it?

[tokotokotoko3]

There are very convincing theories that human language stems more from a form of birdsong: Which is not for communicating topics, but to impress mates. ( watch?v=rconzwB422s )

I think those make a lot of sense, and are very much in line with Chomsky.

Additionally... its just common sense that the tools we use for language must derive from things that were not for communication originally - especially if you support the evolutionary explanation.

[mellamosean]

Did anyone else mishear the "great vowel shift" as the "great bowel shift?"

[beradification]

This is the most interesting thing on linguistics I've seen, steve pinker has some amazing ideas and explanations, and hair.

[pawsoned]

@petkragh

Heh?

[petkragh]

@pawsoned I don't love Pinker. But you are very happy to ascribe sinister motives to people.

[pawsoned]

@petkragh pretty much the same as all those idiotic comments like "I love Pinker" "I like his hair" "Pinker for President" etc

[petkragh]

@pawsoned How petty can you be.

[MomSaysImCool]

@mightyafrowhitey Natural selection seems to be the awkward catch-all we use. It's kind of like how "classical music" refers to a number musical movements, including one called classical music.