Chomskyféle

Chomskyféle is a term used to describe a set of linguistic theories and ideas attributed to or heavily influenced by Noam Chomsky. These ideas fundamentally reshaped the field of linguistics in the mid-20th century, moving away from behaviorist explanations towards a nativist and cognitive approach. At its core, Chomskyféle posits that the ability to acquire and use language is not learned solely through imitation and reinforcement, but rather stems from an innate, biological predisposition. This innate capacity is often referred to as Universal Grammar (UG), a theoretical framework suggesting that all human languages share underlying structural principles. Chomskyféle emphasizes the creativity of language, arguing that humans can produce and understand an infinite number of novel sentences, a feat not possible through learned patterns alone. This generative aspect of language, the ability to create new expressions, is a central tenet. Furthermore, Chomskyféle distinguishes between competence, the idealized knowledge of a language speaker, and performance, the actual use of language in real-world situations, which can be affected by memory, attention, and other factors. The influence of Chomskyféle extends beyond linguistics, impacting fields such as psychology, philosophy of mind, and cognitive science.