Thesis (DPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This thesis gives an historical overview of some of the issues connecting philosophy of mind and philosophy of langauge in the twentieth century, especially with regard to the relevance of both disciplines to theories of cognition. Specifically, the interrelation between the theories of Peirce,Chomsky, Derrida, and Deacon are discussed. Furthermore, an overview of twentieth century views on mind in both philosophy and the cognitive sciences is given. The argument is made that many of the apparently insurmountable issues that plague theories on mind and cognition today can be traced back to the metaphysical mould into which the philosophical questions at issue here were cast. Also, despite current resistance to the idea from many philosophical quarters, a case is made for approaching language and mind in terms of neo-Darwinist evolutionary theory.

Este trabalho trata sobre os verbos inacusativos e a livre inversão do sujeito em sentenças declarativas do português brasileiro (PB). É um estudo, com base em revisão bibliográfica, à luz da Sintaxe Gerativa, sob a perspectiva da Teoria da Regência e da Ligação (TRL), proposta por Chomsky (1981), em conformidade com o modelo Princípios e Parâmetros. Primeiramente, é feito um apanhado de tópicos fundamentais (Léxico, Subcategorização Verbal, Teoria do Caso, Teoria Theta, Estrutura de Argumentos) para a TRL, bem como relacionados ao assunto a ser discutido. Após essa exposição, são apresentados os verbos inacusativos (monoargumentais) e as suas especificidades. É feita uma comparação entre os verbos inacusativos e os inergativos, tendo em vista serem ambos monoargumentais. Apesar disso, apresentam estruturas sintáticas completamente distintas. Suas estruturas-D mostram tais diferenças. Os inacusativos subcategorizam um Determiner Phrase (DP) complemento (posição de objeto). Os inergativos selecionam somente argumento externo. Quando ocorre a inversão do DP sujeito, este permanece em sua posição de base, dentro do V(erb)P(hrase). De acordo com autores relevantes (Pontes, 1986; Kato, 2000; Menuzzi, 2003) para este trabalho, os verbos inacusativos são compatíveis com a ordem V(erbo)S(ujeito) no PB. Nas sentenças VS com inacusativos, são verificadas duas possibilidades de concordância. Quando o verbo concorda com o DP sujeito pós-verbal ([pro] Chegaram as visitas), a concordância resulta da cadeia entre o DP sujeito pós-verbal e o expletivo nulo pro pré-verbal. Quando o verbo permanece na 3ª pessoa do singular ([pro] Chegou as visitas), a concordância é realizada com o expletivo nulo pro pré-verbal, que, de acordo com Mioto et al. (2007), é singular. A concordância com o expletivo pré-verbal é como no francês, por exemplo. Porém, no francês, o expletivo pré-verbal não é nulo, é lexical (Il). / This academic work deals with the unaccusative verbs and the free inversion of the subject in declarative sentences in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). This study is based on a bibliographic review, in the light of the Generative Syntax, under the Government-Binding (GB) Theory. It is proposed by Chomsky (1981), in accordance with the Principles and Parameters model. Firstly, a summary of the fundamental topics (Lexicon, Verb Subcategorization, Case Theory, θ-Theory, Argument Structure) within the GB is made, not to mention that these topics are absolutely related to the main subject. Thereafter, the unaccusative verbs (monoargumental) and their particularity are presented. A comparison is made between the unaccusative and the inergative verbs. Although they are both monoargumental verbs, they have different syntactic structures from each other. Their Dstructures show such differences. The unaccusative verbs subcategorize a Determiner Phrase (DP) complement (in the object place), while the inergative ones select an external argument. When the inversion of the DP subject occurs, it remains in its original position within the Verb Phrase (VP). According to relevant authors (Pontes, 1986; Kato, 2000; Menuzzi, 2003) to this work, the unaccusative verbs are compatible with the V(erb)S(ubject) order in BP. The occurance of two kinds of agreement is verified in the sentences when the DP subject occupies the post-verbal position. When the verb agrees with the post-verbal DP subject ([pro] Chegaram as visitas), the agreement results from a chain between the post-verbal DP subject and the null expletive pro. When the verb remains in the 3rd person of singular ([pro] Chegou as visitas), it reveals that the agreement is with the pre-verbal null expletive pro, singular according to Mioto et al. (2007). The agreement with the pre-verbal expletive is likewise in French. However in French the pre-verbal expletive is not null; it is the lexical one il.

It is a central claim of modern linguistic theory that linguists do not prescribe, but describe language as it is, without pronouncing on correctness or judging one variety better than another. This attempt to exclude evaluation is motivated by a desire to be ' politically correct', which hinders objective analysis of language, and by an ill-advised imitation of the natural sciences, which obstructs the discipline's progress towards becoming a science in its own right. It involves linguists, as users of a valued variety, in self-deception and disingenuousness, distances them from the concerns of the ordinary language user, and betrays a failure to understand the involvement of social values in language, the nature of language itself, and the limits of linguistic science. On a wider scale, linguistics reflects society's devaluing and mechanisation of language. Despite growing concern expressed in the literature, and the incoherence that becomes apparent when linguists attempt to address social problems using a theory that regards language as an autonomous object, newcomers to the discipline continue to be taught that anti-prescriptivism is the natural corollary of a scientific approach to language. This thesis suggests that the way out of these difficulties is to rethink the meaning of ' theory' in linguistics. If we take the reflexivity of language seriously, building on M.A.K. Halliday's notion of 'linguistics as metaphor', we are reminded that a linguistic theory is made of language. Metalanguage must use the experiential and interpersonal meaning-making resources of everyday language. It follows that a linguistic theory cannot escape being evaluative, because evaluation is an inherent part of interpersonal meaning. If we fail to notice our own metalinguistic evaluation, this is because language disguises its evaluative meanings, or perhaps we are just not used to thinking of them as part of the grammar. To achieve clarity about the involvement of value in language, we need to turn our metalanguage back on itself - 'using the grammar to think with about the grammar' . Some ways of doing this are demonstrated here, turning the resources of systemic functional linguistics on linguists' own language. The circularity of this process should be seen not as a drawback but as a salutary reminder that linguistics is an interpretive rather than a discovery process. This knowledge should help us revalue language and make a place for evaluation in linguistic theory, paving the way for a socially responsible and productive linguistics.

Este trabalho trata sobre os verbos inacusativos e a livre inversão do sujeito em sentenças declarativas do português brasileiro (PB). É um estudo, com base em revisão bibliográfica, à luz da Sintaxe Gerativa, sob a perspectiva da Teoria da Regência e da Ligação (TRL), proposta por Chomsky (1981), em conformidade com o modelo Princípios e Parâmetros. Primeiramente, é feito um apanhado de tópicos fundamentais (Léxico, Subcategorização Verbal, Teoria do Caso, Teoria Theta, Estrutura de Argumentos) para a TRL, bem como relacionados ao assunto a ser discutido. Após essa exposição, são apresentados os verbos inacusativos (monoargumentais) e as suas especificidades. É feita uma comparação entre os verbos inacusativos e os inergativos, tendo em vista serem ambos monoargumentais. Apesar disso, apresentam estruturas sintáticas completamente distintas. Suas estruturas-D mostram tais diferenças. Os inacusativos subcategorizam um Determiner Phrase (DP) complemento (posição de objeto). Os inergativos selecionam somente argumento externo. Quando ocorre a inversão do DP sujeito, este permanece em sua posição de base, dentro do V(erb)P(hrase). De acordo com autores relevantes (Pontes, 1986; Kato, 2000; Menuzzi, 2003) para este trabalho, os verbos inacusativos são compatíveis com a ordem V(erbo)S(ujeito) no PB. Nas sentenças VS com inacusativos, são verificadas duas possibilidades de concordância. Quando o verbo concorda com o DP sujeito pós-verbal ([pro] Chegaram as visitas), a concordância resulta da cadeia entre o DP sujeito pós-verbal e o expletivo nulo pro pré-verbal. Quando o verbo permanece na 3ª pessoa do singular ([pro] Chegou as visitas), a concordância é realizada com o expletivo nulo pro pré-verbal, que, de acordo com Mioto et al. (2007), é singular. A concordância com o expletivo pré-verbal é como no francês, por exemplo. Porém, no francês, o expletivo pré-verbal não é nulo, é lexical (Il). / This academic work deals with the unaccusative verbs and the free inversion of the subject in declarative sentences in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). This study is based on a bibliographic review, in the light of the Generative Syntax, under the Government-Binding (GB) Theory. It is proposed by Chomsky (1981), in accordance with the Principles and Parameters model. Firstly, a summary of the fundamental topics (Lexicon, Verb Subcategorization, Case Theory, θ-Theory, Argument Structure) within the GB is made, not to mention that these topics are absolutely related to the main subject. Thereafter, the unaccusative verbs (monoargumental) and their particularity are presented. A comparison is made between the unaccusative and the inergative verbs. Although they are both monoargumental verbs, they have different syntactic structures from each other. Their Dstructures show such differences. The unaccusative verbs subcategorize a Determiner Phrase (DP) complement (in the object place), while the inergative ones select an external argument. When the inversion of the DP subject occurs, it remains in its original position within the Verb Phrase (VP). According to relevant authors (Pontes, 1986; Kato, 2000; Menuzzi, 2003) to this work, the unaccusative verbs are compatible with the V(erb)S(ubject) order in BP. The occurance of two kinds of agreement is verified in the sentences when the DP subject occupies the post-verbal position. When the verb agrees with the post-verbal DP subject ([pro] Chegaram as visitas), the agreement results from a chain between the post-verbal DP subject and the null expletive pro. When the verb remains in the 3rd person of singular ([pro] Chegou as visitas), it reveals that the agreement is with the pre-verbal null expletive pro, singular according to Mioto et al. (2007). The agreement with the pre-verbal expletive is likewise in French. However in French the pre-verbal expletive is not null; it is the lexical one il.

Este trabalho trata sobre os verbos inacusativos e a livre inversão do sujeito em sentenças declarativas do português brasileiro (PB). É um estudo, com base em revisão bibliográfica, à luz da Sintaxe Gerativa, sob a perspectiva da Teoria da Regência e da Ligação (TRL), proposta por Chomsky (1981), em conformidade com o modelo Princípios e Parâmetros. Primeiramente, é feito um apanhado de tópicos fundamentais (Léxico, Subcategorização Verbal, Teoria do Caso, Teoria Theta, Estrutura de Argumentos) para a TRL, bem como relacionados ao assunto a ser discutido. Após essa exposição, são apresentados os verbos inacusativos (monoargumentais) e as suas especificidades. É feita uma comparação entre os verbos inacusativos e os inergativos, tendo em vista serem ambos monoargumentais. Apesar disso, apresentam estruturas sintáticas completamente distintas. Suas estruturas-D mostram tais diferenças. Os inacusativos subcategorizam um Determiner Phrase (DP) complemento (posição de objeto). Os inergativos selecionam somente argumento externo. Quando ocorre a inversão do DP sujeito, este permanece em sua posição de base, dentro do V(erb)P(hrase). De acordo com autores relevantes (Pontes, 1986; Kato, 2000; Menuzzi, 2003) para este trabalho, os verbos inacusativos são compatíveis com a ordem V(erbo)S(ujeito) no PB. Nas sentenças VS com inacusativos, são verificadas duas possibilidades de concordância. Quando o verbo concorda com o DP sujeito pós-verbal ([pro] Chegaram as visitas), a concordância resulta da cadeia entre o DP sujeito pós-verbal e o expletivo nulo pro pré-verbal. Quando o verbo permanece na 3ª pessoa do singular ([pro] Chegou as visitas), a concordância é realizada com o expletivo nulo pro pré-verbal, que, de acordo com Mioto et al. (2007), é singular. A concordância com o expletivo pré-verbal é como no francês, por exemplo. Porém, no francês, o expletivo pré-verbal não é nulo, é lexical (Il). / This academic work deals with the unaccusative verbs and the free inversion of the subject in declarative sentences in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). This study is based on a bibliographic review, in the light of the Generative Syntax, under the Government-Binding (GB) Theory. It is proposed by Chomsky (1981), in accordance with the Principles and Parameters model. Firstly, a summary of the fundamental topics (Lexicon, Verb Subcategorization, Case Theory, θ-Theory, Argument Structure) within the GB is made, not to mention that these topics are absolutely related to the main subject. Thereafter, the unaccusative verbs (monoargumental) and their particularity are presented. A comparison is made between the unaccusative and the inergative verbs. Although they are both monoargumental verbs, they have different syntactic structures from each other. Their Dstructures show such differences. The unaccusative verbs subcategorize a Determiner Phrase (DP) complement (in the object place), while the inergative ones select an external argument. When the inversion of the DP subject occurs, it remains in its original position within the Verb Phrase (VP). According to relevant authors (Pontes, 1986; Kato, 2000; Menuzzi, 2003) to this work, the unaccusative verbs are compatible with the V(erb)S(ubject) order in BP. The occurance of two kinds of agreement is verified in the sentences when the DP subject occupies the post-verbal position. When the verb agrees with the post-verbal DP subject ([pro] Chegaram as visitas), the agreement results from a chain between the post-verbal DP subject and the null expletive pro. When the verb remains in the 3rd person of singular ([pro] Chegou as visitas), it reveals that the agreement is with the pre-verbal null expletive pro, singular according to Mioto et al. (2007). The agreement with the pre-verbal expletive is likewise in French. However in French the pre-verbal expletive is not null; it is the lexical one il.

Abstract Essay in Political Science, D-level, spring 2010. “Do the American mass media serve foreign policy interests? – A scrutiny of two American newspapers’ coverage of the coup d’état in Honduras in the summer of 2009”, Author: David Scott. Tutor: Anders Broman   The bias of the American mass media has been widely discussed among scholars. Not only has this phenomenon caught the attention of political scientists, but also academics from other scientific fields. Two of the most known researchers of the American media are the linguist Noam Chomsky and the professor of Finance Edward Herman. They apply, on the American media, a so called “propaganda model” which claims that the media will serve the interests of the domestic power elites. One of the interests that the media try to satisfy is the foreign policy goals of the American state, which is to vilify enemy states and idealize client states. This thesis is applied on the American media coverage of the coup d’état that resulted in the ousting of leftist President Manuel Zelaya from the presidency in Honduras in 2009. In this case the model predicts that Zelaya will be vilified as an enemy and that the cause of the coup will be portrayed as legitimate. The essay studies, in the newspapers New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the portraiture of three aspects of the coup: the cause of the coup, the role of the military and the victims of violence and, finally, Zelaya as a president and the support to versus the resistance against his presidency. Through a textual analysis of the material, the essay concludes that there is a bias and that this means that the propaganda model can be verified. The bias consists of that the papers tend to legitimize the clients (the perpetrators of the coup) by portraying Zelaya as violator of the Honduran constitution and as a radical leftist aligned with Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez. The legitimization goes further through the toning down of the military’s role in the use of violence against demonstrators. Although this is the bias, it must be stressed that it is subtle and has been detected through an extensive interpretation of the material.

The cantata A World Without War (2009), by Armenian-born composer Edward Manukyan (b. 1981), was written, in part, to support increased awareness of human rights issues. Based on a quote from linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky (b. 1928), the narrative of the cantata states: "We can, for example, be fairly confident that either there will be a world without war or there won't be a world." In addition to Chomsky's words, the cantata excerpts quotes of two additional literary giants advocating human rights, Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), and Andrei Sakharov (1921-1989). The purpose of this dissertation is to focus attention on human rights activism; using Manukyan's A World Without War, I highlight moral and ethical questions at the center of this work and explain how this cantata embraces the ideal of moral cosmopolitanism. I strongly believe in the importance of human rights for all citizens of the world, and the role music plays in advancing its cause through performance arts.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van die ondersoek sentreer rondom die verband tussen denkontwikkeling (‘n kognitiewe veranderlike) en prestasie in Afrikaans as tweede taal. Denkont-wikkeling is egter nie die enigste kognitiewe veranderlike wat prestasie in ‘n taal kan beïnvloed nie. Verbale begrip en geheue is ook as vername kognitiewe verander-likes geïdentifiseer. Affektiewe veranderlikes soos motivering, selfkonsep en angs, kan ook met prestasie in Afrikaans as tweede taal in verband gebring word. ‘n Empiriese ondersoek is uitgevoer waarby 174 hoërskoolleerders betrek is. Kognitiewe en affektiewe veranderlikes, asook leerstyl, is gemeet. Uit die empiriese ondersoek blyk dit dat selfkonsep, geheue, verbale begrip en motivering as die vernaamste veranderlikes beskou kan word wat met prestasie in Afrikaans as tweede taal verband hou. Denkontwikkeling is nie as ‘n vername faktor geïdentifiseer nie. Die bevindinge in die literatuurstudie en die empiriese ondersoek is bespreek om ouers en onderwysers van riglyne te voorsien om prestasie in Afrikaans te verhoog. / The aim of the research focusses on the relationship between thought development (a cognitive variable) and achievement in Afrikaans as a second language. Besides thought development, verbal understanding and memory recollection are also identified as distinctive cognitive variables. Affective variables such as motivation, self-concept and anxiety could also relate to performance in Afrikaans as a second language. Empirical research was conducted amongst 174 High School learners. Cognitive variables, affective variables and learning styles were measured. Resulting from the empirical research, it appears that self-concept, memory recollection, verbal comprehension and motivation are the main variables that impact on the performance of Afrikaans as a second language. Thought process development was not identified as a main factor. Results from the literature study and the empirical research are discussed in order to assist parents and teachers with guidelines to increase achievement in Afrikaans as a second language. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

This study contributes to the search for metrical order in the 90,000 extant long lines of the late fourteenth-century Middle English Alliterative Revival. Using the 'Gawain'-poet's 'Patience' and 'Cleanness', it refutes nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholars who mistook rhythmic liveliness for metrical disorganization and additionally corrects troubling missteps that scholars have taken over the last five years. 'Chapter One: Tame the "Gabble of Weaker Syllables"' rehearses the traditional, but mistaken view that long lines are barely patterned at all. It explains the widely-accepted methods for determining which syllables are metrically stressed and which are not: Give metrical stress to the syllables that in everyday Middle English were probably accented. 'Chapter Two: An Environment for Demotion in the B-Verse' introduces the relatively stringent metrical template of the b-verse as a foil for the different kind of meter at work in the a-verse. 'Chapter Three: Rhythmic Consistency in the Middle English Alliterative Long Line' examines the structure of the a-verse and considers the viability of verses with more than the normal two beats. An empirical investigation considers whether rhythmic consistency in the long line depends on three-beat a-verses. 'Chapter Four: Dynamic "Unmetre" and the Proscription against Three Sequential Iambs' posits an explanation for the unusual distributions of metrically unstressed syllables in the long line and finds that the 'Gawain'-poet's rhythms avoid the even alternation of beats and offbeats with uncanny precision. 'Chapter Five: Metrical Promotion, Linguistic Promotion, and False Extra-Long Dips' takes the rest of the dissertation as a foundation for explaining rhythmically puzzling a-verses. A-verses that seem to have excessively long sequences of offbeats and other a-verses that infringe on b-verse meter prove amenable to adjustment through metrical promotion. 'Conclusion: Metrical Regions in the Long Line' synthesizes the findings of the previous chapters in a survey of metrical tension in the long line. It additionally articulates the key theme of the dissertation: Contrary to traditional assumptions, Middle English alliterative long lines have variable, instead of consistent, numbers of beats and highly regulated, instead of liberally variable, arrangements of metrically unstressed syllables. / text

This thesis deals with the topic of sequential and parallel grammars. Both of these groups cover a large number of grammar families, most of which, however, are not widely used because of the difficulties related to their processing. The thesis examines some of these grammar types, such as scattered-context grammars, multigenerative systems, and interactive L-systems, with focus on their normal forms. Subsequently, it introduces a set of algorithms utilising properties of the discussed grammar types as well as their normal forms. These algorithms are based on the Cocke-Younger-Kasami algorithm for context-free grammars, and are capable of parsing any grammar in the corresponding normal form. Finally, a program implementing the proposed algorithms is presented.