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RE: Deconstruction of Deep Structure and other Improbabilities



RE: Deconstruction of Deep Structure and other Improbabilities

These threads have merged somewhat. 

Jim Beale in his fascinating post (digest #776) unearthed one of the 
issues I have been searching for: 

Jim Beale Wrote: 

>>>>>>>>>>>>
What is necessary here is to presuppose an innate possession of 
linguistic universals.
>>>>>>>>>>>>

This is exactly what I was driving at when I said that invoking the 
term *deep structure* involves accepting a whole set of 
presuppositions. There are more presuppositions than the one stated 
above, but one is enough to illustrate the point. My reference to 
Augustine's Logos Doctrine was not being flippant. I think there is 
some kind of rationalism lurking in the term *deep structure.* Jim 
Beale has made this rationalism explicit in his statement quoted 
above. I'm sure he will respond by saying I haven't used the word 
rationalism correctly. 

If you don't accept Jim's restatement of Chomsky (early Chomsky?) then 
the term *deep structure* should be avoided.

I avoid it for that reason.

Clay Bartholomew
Three Tree Point


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