12 July 2009
Domain confusion
Posted by bsypniewski under: Uncategorized .
Domain ConfusionThis paper begins a dsuion of what domain confusion is and why the problem of domain confusion is important. Domain confusion is endemic in linguistics. The domain confusion in linguistics confuses theory with reality and prefers to deal with the theory raher than reality directly. From my discussions with linguists, domain confusion is difficult for many to see. There are several reasons: 1. the notion that a trained linguist knows the difference between the theory and the reality that the theory is a theory of; 2. that there is no problem: you are SUPPOSED to deal with theories; 3. linguists don’t understand the difference between theory and reality. Some linguists have one of these errors; others have more than one in some combination.
Domain confusion is a partof a wider problem: most linguists don’t seem to care about the scientific basis of linguistics. Many linguists seem to feel that linguistics is a science because someone (Chomsky, whomever) told them so. Others simply come out and say that the foundations of linguistics aren’t all that important (or ‘interesting’, which amounts to the same thing). In a sense, linguistics is in a position similar to logic and physics in the late 19th century.
Sypniewski, Bernard. 2006. Domain confusion. LACUS Forum Click here for the PDF: dc02.pdf