Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part I The science of language and mind
- Part II Human nature and its study
- 15 Chomsky on human nature and human understanding
- 16 Human nature and evolution: thoughts on sociobiology and evolutionary psychology
- 17 Human nature again
- 18 Morality and universalization
- 19 Optimism and grounds for it
- 20 Language, agency, common sense, and science
- 21 Philosophers and their roles
- 22 Biophysical limitations on understanding
- 23 Epistemology and biological limits
- 24 Studies of mind and behavior and their limitations
- 25 Linguistics and politics
- Appendices
- Commentaries
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
25 - Linguistics and politics
from Part II - Human nature and its study
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- Part I The science of language and mind
- Part II Human nature and its study
- 15 Chomsky on human nature and human understanding
- 16 Human nature and evolution: thoughts on sociobiology and evolutionary psychology
- 17 Human nature again
- 18 Morality and universalization
- 19 Optimism and grounds for it
- 20 Language, agency, common sense, and science
- 21 Philosophers and their roles
- 22 Biophysical limitations on understanding
- 23 Epistemology and biological limits
- 24 Studies of mind and behavior and their limitations
- 25 Linguistics and politics
- Appendices
- Commentaries
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
JM: What is the relationship between – I know you've been asked this several times (including by me), and you as often have for various reasons dodged the question –
NC: . . . then I'll dodge it again; because I'm sure that the reasons still hold . . .
JM: Well, I'll try anyway: what is the relationship between your linguistic work and your political work?
NC: Well, it's principled, but it's weak . . .
JM: You've said that there's no deep intellectual connection; I've always read that as saying that there's no way of deducing . . .
NC: . . . there's no deductive connection. You could take any view on either of these topics, and it wouldn't be inconsistent to hold them . . . You know the line, and I don't have to repeat it. There's some point at which a commitment to human freedom enters into both. But you can't do much with that in itself.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Science of LanguageInterviews with James McGilvray, pp. 152Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012