From: Jonathan Robie (jwrobie@mindspring.com)
Date: Sat Sep 25 1999 - 15:13:12 EDT
<x-flowed>At 12:51 PM 9/24/99 -0400, Jim West wrote:
>umm... now your speaking swahili to me. Again, theoretical approaches to
>"why" language works or "how" it works are beyond the pale so far as I am
>concerned.
It seems to me that any explanation of "why" or "how" has to involve
theory. Should we not ask "why" or "how"? Or is there a non-theoretical
approach to "why" and "how", one that does not analyze facts in relation to
one another, does not involve abstract thought, does not state general or
abstract principles, does not attempt to explain phenomena, and poses no
theories?
Jonathan
[Webster's comments follow]
Main Entry: theáoáry
Pronunciation: 'thE-&-rE, 'thi(-&)r-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ries
Etymology: Late Latin theoria, from Greek theOria, from theOrein
Date: 1592
1 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
2 : abstract thought : SPECULATION
3 : the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an
art <music theory>
4 a : a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of
action <her method is based on the theory that all children want to learn>
b : an ideal or hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances --
often used in the phrase in theory <in theory, we have always advocated
freedom for all>
5 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of
principles offered to explain phenomena <wave theory of light>
6 a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an
unproved assumption : CONJECTURE c : a body of theorems presenting a
concise systematic view of a subject <theory of equations>
synonym see HYPOTHESIS
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