Location: Hornung Stuen, Studenternes Hus

13.15-14.15: Henning Nølke: Modular linguistics, and pluridisciplinarity.The case of the linearity of language. Background paper

14.15-14.45: Ken Ramshøj Christensen: Language and Modularity

14.45-15.15: Klaus Bærentsen: Human Activity, Language and Functional Systems in the Brain

15.15 - 15.45: Albert Gjedde

- Discussion-

Participation is open to all, ne registration needed.

After the seminar, there will refreshments and the chance for a chat in the Faculty Club

Abstracts:

Henning Nølke: Modular linguistics, and pluridisciplinarity.The case of the linearity of language.

The evolution of science is characterised by an ever greater degree of specialisation. As knowledge expands in depth the research domains constantly get narrower to the disregard of the risk of loosing the global overview.  As a reaction to this tendency, we have currently witnessed a growing interest for research bypassing traditional frontiers between disciplines. The same trend can be observed within individual sciences, and this fact may explain the recent popularity of modular approaches. Linguistics is no exception.
            However any modular approach has to be subject to important methodological constraints in order to be “scientific”. Apart from some rare exceptions, most of these constraints have been neglected by linguists. Etiquettes like ‘modular grammar’, ‘multilevel analyses’, etc. are widespread, but more often than not it is a question of “impressionistic” theoretical constructions, which merited to be called eclectic in the most negative sense of this term.
            The aim of this paper is to study the methodological principles that any modular approach has to observe. First I shall explicate the very notion of a modular theory as opposed to unitary theories using pre-constructed models. A modular approach is simply an approach that relies upon a theoretical model containing a number of “mini-theories” called modules, where every module contains a restricted number of well defined concepts and a system of (local) rules, and is concerned with a restricted domain of application. The different modules are bound together by global rules called meta-rules. Before moving on to my central issue (the constraints and principles), I shall then try to clarify some crucial general questions like “what is an explanation in linguistics?” and “where is the modularity, in the object or in the theoretical model?” I shall distinguish external and internal explanations and argue that one should always (first) set out for an internal explanation. Likewise, I will argue that the modularity should be situated at the theoretical level in the first place and only subsequently one might consider the possible modularity of the scrutinized object. After this, I shall present and illustrate a series of principles and constraints that have to be observed by any modular approach. Restricting myself to system linguistics in the saussurian sense, I shall then discuss the interface between linguistic form and actual interpretation arguing that one should adopt instructional semantics in order to scrutinize the linguistic coding of meaning. These theoretical considerations lead me to sketching a particular modular model obeying the stated constraints and principles. This model will be designed with a view to permitting the analysis of linear linguistic surface structure, whose construction is dependent on multiple heterogeneous parameters, which makes this linguistic object particular well fitted for illustrating the virtues of the modular approach.
            Finally, I shall argue that, as it happens, the modular model can also be conceived of as an organizing model for research matters as such. In fact, a modular framework seems to be called for for any multidisciplinary project. Every participant of such a project should work in a particular module corresponding to his specialisation, but he should know enough about the others’ work, research areas and methods to (co)construct the interfaces articulated as meta-rules.
            In any kind of multidisciplinary work a modular approach seems thus to be indispensable.

Some references:
Fodor, Jerry A. (1983) : The modularity of Mind. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Hawking, Stephen W. (1989) : Une brève histoire du temps. Du big bang aux trous noirs. Paris : Flammarion. (Jeg har desværre ikke originaltitlen på engelsk)
Nølke, Henning (1993) : Le regard du locuteur. Pour une linguistique des traces énonciatives. Paris : Kimé.

1. (1994) : Linguistique modulaire : de la forme au sens. Louvain/Paris : Peeters.
2. (1999) : « Linguistique modulaire : principes méthodologiques et applications », in: Henning Nølke & Jean-Michel Adam (éds.) : Approches modulaires en liguistique : de la phrase au discours. Lausanne/Paris : Delachaux & Niestlé. (17-73)
3. (2001) : Le regard du locuteur 2. Pour une linguistique des traces énonciatives. Paris : Kimé.

Ken Ramshøj Christensen: Language & Modularity

I shall present aruments for a modular approach to language in terms of external modularity (i.e. Language and Mind), internal modularity (the architecture of language), and implementation (Language and Brain).

Klaus Bærentsen: Human Activity, Language and Functional Systems in the Brain

From a point of view based on a combination of activity theory, ecological psychology and dynamical systems theory, the neural processes underlying the realisation of psychological processes and phenomena in general may be regarded as being organised in functional systems. The existence and formation of functional systems in the brain is not
understandable on the basis of a consideration of the brain in isolation. Functional systems encompass circumstantially determined functional combinations of efferent, afferent and central anatomical structures of the nervous system (including cerebrum, the CNS, the peripheral NS, the autonomous NS, and the endocrine NS), as well as relevant parts of the somatic body and external objects. Functional systems in the brain are - in humans - of socio-historical origin, developed in concrete life activities under the influence of the inclusion of man-made objects, and the formative activities are carried out as part of complex collective societal practices, including sensory-motor, motivational, intellectual and communicative aspects. The
circumstantial determination for the formation of functional systems consists of at least motivational, emotional and need related intentional aspects, as well as more or less goal and object directed aspects of action, and the objective individual sensory-motor, intellectual etc. capacities and the external situational conditions in the environment.

The understanding of language is based on the function and development of communication and the related objective means of communication in human activity. Understanding of brain processes related to linguistic communication thus implies that not only functions of the brain are involved, but also social practices and the related systems of tools and
other artefacts. The functions of the brain in linguistic communication are thus developed by the inclusion of external instruments in the communicative activities in ways that are similar to that which happens in the development of other forms of human activity with a cultural-historical origin.