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Some Philosophical Aspects of Pike's Theory of Language in Relation to a Unified Theory of the Structure of Human Behavior

Lourdes Varela

Discipline: Philosophy

 

Abstract:

Most brilliant scientists possess philosophical depths which set them apart as genuine thinkers. Dr. Kenneth L. Pike, a linguist of international renown and a professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan, is no exception. His scientific task of language analysis has been considerably enriched by his philosophical searchings into the fundamental natures of verbal and nonverbal behavior. Linguistics, like the other sciences, is sometimes charged with being nothing more than shallow mental gymnastics. In Pike's contributions to linguistic science, however, there is nothing shallow in his sincere seeking of the truth.

This paper is the result of a serious attempt to discover Pike's philosophical views which, directly or indirectly, he reveals in his writings, particularly those that deal with his theory of language which he expanded into his unified theory of the structure of human behavior.