Study Summary: New Horizons in the Study of Language Full Cumulative Summary: "New Horizons in the Study of Language" by Noam Chomsky This paper explores foundational aspects of human language from a biological and computational perspective. Chomsky argues that language is a biologically based faculty, unique to humans and universal across the species. The study of language reveals deep insights into the structure of the mind, drawing from generative grammar, formal systems, and cognitive science. Chomsky begins by framing language as both an ancient and modern inquiry. While linguistic curiosity dates back to classical civilizations, the current scientific study was revitalized in the mid-20th century with the emergence of generative grammar. Central to the discussion is the concept of discrete infinity-the capacity to generate infinite expressions from finite means-suggesting an innate and uniquely human endowment. He distinguishes between the initial state of the language faculty (universal grammar) and the language acquired through experience. This interaction forms an individual's internalized language or I-language. Language is thus viewed as a natural organ, shaped by genetic information and developed through input. Empirical observations, like rapid child language acquisition under minimal input, support this model. Chomsky introduces the Principles and Parameters framework: languages share universal principles but differ based on parameter settings. This reduces crosslinguistic variation to toggling switches in a shared system. The Minimalist Program further streamlines this theory, asking: "Is language optimally designed?" He identifies two apparent imperfections-uninterpretable features and displacement-but argues these are actually necessary consequences of interface constraints. Merge and Move are proposed as the fundamental syntactic operations. The discussion extends to semantic interpretation, showing that word meaning is context-dependent and shaped by how humans think. Questions like what "book" refers to reveal the complexity of reference-material, abstract, or institutional. Chomsky critiques modern philosophy's rigid focus on reference, favoring a perspective rooted in mental constructs and cognitive function. He concludes with a reflection on the limits of scientific understanding, paralleling language with other faculties like vision. While mechanisms can be studied, the creative, context-sensitive use of language may remain beyond full scientific reach. This work situates language as both a computational system and a window into the nature of human cognition-integral to what makes us human.
