读懂我们自己:论语言与思想  

Understanding Ourselves:On Language and Thought

作　　者： 司富珍[3] 时仲 赵欣宇(译) Noam Chomsky

机构地区：[1]麻省理工学院语言学系,美国波士顿MA02139 [2]亚利桑那大学语言学系,美国图森AZ85721 [3]北京语言大学语言学系,北京100083

出　　处：《语言战略研究》2022年第6期56-72,共17页Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning

摘　　要：德尔斐神谕谕示我们要“认识自己”,这首先要重视我们作为同一物种的共同属性。语言与思想是将人类与其他物种区分开来的两个重要属性,而语言与思想具有等同关系:语言是生成思想的系统,思想则是由语言所生成的,它们为人类所共有,并且在重要的方面为人类所独有。回顾思想史和科学史上关于语言和思想的生成性、普遍性及创造性本质的认识,可以洞察科学家始终坚守着揭示复杂表象的简约性“神奇原则”。在此背景下,为了解决“人类语言的成就如何成为可能”这一“伽利略谜题”,可以引入关于语言研究的“强式最简主义”思路和关于词语指涉事物的“言语行为”观。当然,语言与思想并非人类的唯一特征。认识自己,关乎我们当前面临并且亟待化解的生存危机,关乎人类的未来。Departing from the Delphi Oracle,this article contends that knowing ourselves requires us to realize the species properties that are common to humans.The article argues that it is language and thought—the two fundamental species properties-that distinguish humans from all other species in the living world.Language and thought hold a relation of identity:language is a system for generating thought,and thought is what is generated by language.They are common to humans and in important ways distinctive to the human species.Through looking back on the relevant discourse in intellectual history,this article reviews the epistemic tradition of generativity,universality,and creativity concerning language and thought among the thinkers and scientists,and emphasizes the“Miracle Creed”that scientists adhere to in the process of revealing the“simplicity”behind the complex appearances.In addition,the article reiterates the“Galilean Challenge”of language and thought,and argues for the“Strong Minimalist Thesis”approach to language research as well as the“Speech Act”perspective of the referential relation between words and objects.In the concluding remarks,the article revisits the common species properties and the crises that human beings are faced with,calling for more attention to and consideration of these issues,and alerting to the grave impact these crises may have on human existence.

关 键 词：语言 思想 强式最简主义 言语行为 “神奇原则” 

分 类 号：H002[语言文字—语言学]