Language as a Scientific Inquiry: Contrasting Chomskyan Rationalism and Quinean Nominalism

Evans Gesura Mecha (Kisii University)

Call for participation

Different Perspectives in Philosophy of Linguistics: Amsterdam, 10-11 July 2025

This workshop explores diverse approaches to studying language as a scientific subject matter, bringing together philosophers and linguists to examine foundational debates in the field. We will discuss whether language is best understood as a natural or social phenomenon, its status as an internal (individual) or external phenomenon, and the implications of the competence-performance distinction. Further topics include whether language is learned or acquired, the interface between grammar and conceptual representation, and the contrast between statistical models—especially in the context of large language models (LLMs)—and generative approaches to linguistic structure.

This workshop will serve as the closing event of the Leverhulme project on Chomsky and Quine (PI Gary Kemp and John Collins), reflecting on the extent to which their approaches to language are incompatible. By fostering dialogue between different traditions in philosophy of language and linguistics, this workshop aims to deepen our understanding of language as both a cognitive system and a social practice.

The workshop also takes a historical perspective, engaging with the contributions of key figures such as Bloomfield, Chomsky, Quine, and Wittgenstein. Additionally, we will investigate polysemy and word sense disambiguation, considering insights from both computational and generative linguistics.

Speakers:

Paul Pietroski (Rutgers)

Martina Wiltschko (Barcelona)

John Collins (Basque Country)

Piek Vossen (VU Amsterdam)

Gary Kemp (Glasgow)

Lieven Decock (VU Amsterdam)

David King (Dublin)

Tamara Dobler (VU Amsterdam)

Participation in the workshop is free, but registration is required. The event will take place at VU Amsterdam on July 10–11 2025, with further details provided upon registration. If you want to attend please contact the organisers Tamara Dobler ([email protected]) or Guido Löhr ([email protected]).