Autor: Gero Jenner

Dr. Goldsmith‘ deplorable Debacle while fighting his „Battles in the Mind Fields“

The intellectual jousting of scientists – let’s call it with Dr. Goldsmith „Battles in the Mind Fields“ – may certainly arouse some interest among curious bystanders as it reveals both the open horizon of scientific discourse and its obvious limits. Dr. Goldsmith‘ deplorable Debacle while fighting his „Battles in the Mind Fields“ weiterlesen

The Freedom without which we won’t be able to live

The harsh contradiction that will dominate the politics of the 21st century manifests itself in the opposition of two equally necessary, equally indispensable tendencies. The globalization of opportunities and fateful risks will force all states to renounce part of their sovereignty. The Freedom without which we won’t be able to live weiterlesen

„Freiheit, die wir meinen“

Der harte Widerspruch, der die Politik des 21. Jahrhunderts beherrschen wird – und der in der Tat jetzt schon kennzeichnend für sie ist – liegt in der Gegenläufigkeit zweier gleich notwendiger, gleich unverzichtbarer Tendenzen. Auf der einen Seite verlangt die Globalisierung der Chancen und Risiken von sämtlichen Staaten, auf einen Teil ihrer Souveränität zu verzichten. Die drohenden Gefahren von Klimawandel, Ressourcenverschleiß und nuklearer Bedrohung sind nur noch durch eine Weltregierung zu bannen, welche dem Wettlauf der Menschheit gegen sich selbst ein Ende setzt. Solange in einer multipolaren Welt jeder Staat einen Vorteil darin erblickt, dem Gemeinwohl aller anderen zu schaden, weil er aus solchem Verhalten für sich selbst einen deutlichen Nutzen zieht, wird die Menschheit dem Abgrund mit jedem Jahr etwas näher rücken. „Freiheit, die wir meinen“ weiterlesen

The Hallpike Paper – Universal and Generative grammar – a trend-setting idea or a mental straitjacket?

It is Noam Chomsky’s merit to have significantly influenced (if not created) a prominent area of modern linguistics by asking the right questions. The Hallpike Paper – Universal and Generative grammar – a trend-setting idea or a mental straitjacket? weiterlesen

The Goldsmith Paper (Prof. John Goldsmith, University of Chicago, and Dr. Gero Jenner, author of “Principles of Language” criticize Chomsky’s Universal Grammar)

When it comes to Universal and Generative Grammar – undoubtedly a central topic of the modern science of language – the prevailing attitude of linguists – even that of its American representatives – is best described as hagiographic prostration vis-à-vis its prominent author: an attitude stifling to the critical mind and that furthermore stigmatizes all those as heretics who dare to proffer their “ceterum censeo”. The Goldsmith Paper (Prof. John Goldsmith, University of Chicago, and Dr. Gero Jenner, author of “Principles of Language” criticize Chomsky’s Universal Grammar) weiterlesen

Psycholinguist Steven Pinker: How a great scientist turned into an enemy of himself – and of truth

Steven Pinker’s book „The Language Instinct“ is certainly still one of the best books ever written on the rather elusive subject of language: comprehensive in its wealth of facts, intelligent in its argumentation and fascinating in the refreshing wealth of ideas. Psycholinguist Steven Pinker: How a great scientist turned into an enemy of himself – and of truth weiterlesen

Did the Nazis have a conscience?

… the existence of a universal human conscience may be demonstrated even on a more elementary level, namely in the vilification of other humans, a practice that has undergone little or no change at all since the beginnings of human history up to the present day. Did the Nazis have a conscience? weiterlesen