Generative Grammar in Thomas Kuhn’s Paradigm and Structure of Scientific Revolution
Abstract
This research aims to justify that generative grammar, an approach of linguistic study started by Nome Chomsky, is a Kuhnian paradigm. By reviving previous academic writings, two methods, or two sets of components that were thought to be present in Kuhnian paradigms, were employed: the first set included symbolic generalization, model, value, and exemplar; the second set included methodological component, theoretical component, and empirical components. The research also discussed the scientific revolution between generative grammar and North American Descriptivists, which came before generative grammar, as well as the scientific revolution between generative grammar and construction grammar, which came after generative grammar. For the events of emerging of generative grammar and construction grammar, though one of them may even be referred to as a “revolution”, and both of them may also share some feathers of the Kuhnian scientific revolution, they both appear to have fallen short of fully completing the paradigm-replacement process. It was decided that the recent history of linguistics might not fit under Kuhn’s original framework of scientific revolution.
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