关于语言机能一场大辩论

关于语言机能的一次大辩论桂诗春缘起Languagefaculty(语言机能、语言器官、语言官能）一直是Chomsky理论的核心，它和UG(UniversalGrammar、LAD(LanguageAcquisitionDevice)、POS（PovertyofStimulus)、TheMinimalistProgram都有密切关系，是他不能放弃的底线。最早的思想可追溯到AReviewofB.F.Skinner‘sVerbalBehavior（1959）:Thefactthatallnormalchildrenacquireessentiallycomparablegrammarsofgreatcomplexitywithremarkablerapiditysuggeststhathumanbeingsaresomehowspeciallydesignedtodothis,withdata-handlingor“hypothesis-formulating”abilityofunknowncharacterandcomplexity.在2000他把languagefaculty定义为:Thebrainhasacomponent–callit“thelanguagefaculty”–thatisdedicatedtolanguageanditsuse,thelanguagefacultyhasaninitialstate,determinedbybiologicalendowment….Theenvironmenttriggersandtoalimitextentshapesaninternallyprocessofgrowth,whichstabilizes(prettymuch)ataboutpuberty.缘起实际上这可以追溯到1990，Pinker&Bloom的文章所引起的争论，他们的NaturalLanguageandNaturalSelection早就提出语言进化的Darwin适应(adaptationist)观，和他们站在一方有Dennet，Dawkins，而他们的对立面是Gould，Chomsky，Lewontin，Piattelli-Palmarini等，他们提出功能变异(exaptationist)观。辩论的过程2002，MarcD.Hauser,NoamChomsky,W.TecumsehFitch(HCF)triedtoredefinelanguagefacultyintheirpaperTheFacultyofLanguage:WhatIsIt,WhoHasIt,andHowDidItEvolve?(Science,Vol.298,2002)2005，StevePinker&RayJackendoff(PJ)提出他们的批评Thefacultyoflanguage:what’sspecialaboutit?(Cognition95,2005)2005，Fitch,Hauser,Chomsky做出的回应(FHC)Theevolutionofthelanguagefaculty:Clarificationsandimplications(Cognition97,2005)2005，JackendoffandPinker(JP)对回应的讨论Thenatureofthelanguagefacultyanditsimplicationsforevolutionoflanguage(ReplytoFitch,Hauser,andChomsky)(Cognition97,2005).HCF认识到linguisticscanbeprofitablyweddedtoworkinevolutionarybiology,anthropology,psychology,andneuroscience.ItisnowpossibletoredefinelanguagefacultyasFLB(thefacultyoflanguageinthebroadsense)andFLN(thefacultyoflanguageinthenarrowsense.他们首先提出语言进化的理论的3个横切面(cross-cuts)1.“Sharedversusunique”distinction.Althoughbeesdance,birdssing,andchimpanzeesgrunt,thesesystemsofcommunicationdifferqualitativelyfromhumanlanguage.Theylacktherichexpressiveandopen-endedpowerofhumanlanguage.Theevolutionarypuzzleliesinworkingouthowwegetfromtheretohere,giventhisapparentdiscontinuity.2.Wastheevolutionoflanguagegradualorsaltational(跳跃式的）？Thisdiffersfromthefirstissuebecauseaqualitativediscontinuitybetweenextantspeciescouldhaveevolvedgradually,involvingnodiscontinuitiesduringhumanevolution.3.“Continuityversusexaptation（功能变异）”.Theissuerevolvesaroundtheproblemofwhetherhumanlanguageevolvedbygradualextensionofpreexistingcommunicationsystems,orwhetherimportantaspectsoflanguagehavebeenexaptedawayfromtheirpreviousadaptivefunction(e.g.,spatialornumericalreasoning,Machiavelliansocialscheming,tool-making).比较法(TheComparativeApproach)Linguisticbehaviordoesnotfossilize,andalongtraditionofanalysisoffossilskullshapeandcranialendocasts（颅腔模型）hasledtolittleconsensusabouttheevolutionoflanguage.Thecomparativemethodusesempiricaldatafromlivingspeciestodrawinferencesaboutextinctancestors.Thebasicreasoningis:atraitpresentinnonhumananimalsdidnotevolvespecificallyforhumanlanguage,althoughitmaybepartofthelanguagefacultyandplayanintimateroleinlanguageprocessing.Itispossiblethatatraitevolvedinnonhumananimalsandhumansindependently,asanalogs（相似物）ratherthanhomologs（同类物）.Ananologyrecognizedasparticularrelevanttolanguageistheacquisitionofsongbybirds.一致的看法Althoughhumansandanimalssharedadiversityofimportantcomputationalandperceptualresources,therehasbeensubstantialevolutionaryremodelingsincewedivergedfromacommonancestorsome6millionyearsago.Theempiricalchallengeistodeterminewhatwasinheritedunchangedfromthiscommonancestor,whathasbeensubjectedtominormodifications,andwhat(ifanything)isqualitativelynew.Theadditionalevolutionarychallengeistodeterminewhatselectionalpressuresledtoadaptivechangesovertimeandtounderstandthevariousconstraintsthatchanneledthisevolutionaryprocess.广义语言机能(FLB)和狭义语言机能(FLN)HCF把语言机能区分为广义和狭义两种，FLB的范围较广，而FLN则是有限的、狭窄的。FLBincludesaninternalcomputationalsystem(FLN）,combinedwithatleasttwootherorganism-internalsystems,whichwecallsensory-motor”and“conceptual-intentional.”FLNistheabstractlinguisticcomputationalsystemalone,independentoftheothersystemswithwhichitinteractsandinterfaces.FLNisacomponentofFLB,andthemechanismsunderlyingitaresomesubsetofthoseunderlyingFLB.关于语言机能进化的三个假设其出发点是用对比法来检验这几个假设：语言机能有哪些部分是特别为人类语言所演化的，因此是人类独有的。Hypothesis1:FLBisstrictlyhomologoustoanimalcommunication.ThishypothesisholdsthathomologsofFLB,includingFLN,exist(perhapsinlessdevelopedorotherwisemodifiedform)innonhumananimalsHypothesis2:FLBisaderived,uniquelyhumanadaptationforlanguage.Althoughhomologousmechanismsmayexistinotheranimals,thehumanversionshavebeenmodifiedbynaturalselectiontotheextentthattheycanbereasonablyseenasconstitutingnoveltraits,perhapsexaptedfromothercontexts[e.g.,socialintelligence,tool-making]Hypothesis3:OnlyFLNisuniquelyhuman.Onthebasisofdatareviewedbelow,theyhypothesizethatmost,ifnotall,ofFLBisbasedonmechanismssharedwithnonhumananimals(asheldbyhypothesis1).Incontrast,theysuggestthatFLN—thecomputationalmechanismofrecursion—isrecentlyevolvedanduniquetoourspecies(33