The biolinguistic thesis states that language is a biological system internal to an individual of the species Homo sapiens sapiens for generating structured linguistic expressions over a potentially unbounded range; the design of the system is determined by a genetic endowment, external stimuli, and natural laws. With such an expansive scope, the thesis can be thoroughly explored only through interdisciplinary enterprises—the organization of which is the desideratum of the Cambridge Biolinguistics Initiative (CBI). We welcome you to participate in this most exciting endeavor. (Continue this manifesto.)

12 November 2010

Meeting Monday 15 November

CBI shall convene for its third session to discuss the Hockett paper.  Hockett enumerates "design features of language" that we will (endeavor to) reinterpret in terms of Chomsky's "third factors," i.e., extra-linguistic principles (see the Chomsky paper).  The homework assignment for this session is to proffer either (i) a design feature of language not enumerated by Hockett that could be interpreted in terms of third factors or (ii) a third factor (i.e., a general principle applicable in biology, physics, mathematics, computational science, etc.) that could be expected to obtain of language.  We will then discuss the Kirby, Cornish, Smith paper (KCS), which presents the argument that some of the design features of language emerge in a process of cultural evolution.  (Kenny Smith will be presenting to the Cambridge University Linguistics Society on Thursday 18 November.)  
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