A Study of the Current Minimalist Program-From the Viewpoint of Evolution and Complexity

1.语言起源现象被认为是人类进化到一定阶段从“非语言”状态向“语言”状态的过渡/飞跃。因此，在“质”上发生了变化。“因此，自然选择/适应理论，它保持了连续性，应该被拒绝作为语言起源的进化理论。拱肩理论只是简单地断言语言是某些特征的副产品，是一种最后的手段。这将阻碍研究的进一步发展。因此，在现阶段的研究中，前适应理论是最有说服力的。2.考虑到语言起源的真正质量变化，所谓的建构性/自组织方法是否有助于解决这个问题是值得怀疑的，因为关于主体的初始条件不可能包括“语言”的东西。新达尔文主义和所谓的间断平衡都不是 ...更多信息 t falsifiable，因为它们包括一些存在性陈述。此外，对人类语言起源的研究本质上是不可证伪的，因为它是对历史上某个特定阶段只发生过一次的事件的调查。相比之下，生成理论已经发展起来，采用（复杂的）方法论证伪主义。4.从生成语言学的角度研究语言的起源和演变，应采取的基本假设/观点是：（1）考察普遍语法的核心成分（2）最终目标是“当前”人类语言的起源和演变。（3）在语言起源研究中采用零假设。（4）研究普遍语法个体属性/原则的起源和演变。也就是说，我们不把语言看作一个整体/包。（5）不允许“任意性“的概念5.在一个简单/优雅的最低限度理论中，我们不仅要研究合并的起源和演变，而且要研究探测-目标关系、谓词和修饰。少

1.The phenomenon of the origin of language is regarded as the transition/leap from the state of "non-language" to that of "language" at a certain stage of the evolution of humans. Thus there was a change in "quality." Hence the theory of natural selection/adaptation, which maintains the continuity, should be rejected as the evolutionary theory of the origin of language. The theory of spandrels, which simply asserts that language appeared as a by-product of some traits, is a kind of last resort. It will hinder research from proceeding further. Consequently, at this stage of inquiry, the theory of preadaptaion is most plausible.2.Considering a true quality change in language origin, it is doubtful whether the so-called constructive/self-organization approach can contribute to the solution of this problem, because the initial conditions on the agents cannot include "linguistic" things.3.From a methodological point of view, both neo-Darwinism and the so-called punctuated equilibrium are no … More t falsifiable, since they include some existential statements. Furthermore, the study of the origin of human language is inherently unfalsifiable, since it is the investigation of an event which only once took place at a specific stage in history. By contrast, generative theory has developed, adopting (sophisticated) methodological falsificationism. It is suggested that generative linguists should put aside falsificationism for the time being and adopt something like the methodology of Lakatos's research program.4.Some basic assumptions/viewpoints which should be adopted/recognized in the study of the origin and evolution of language from a generative perspective are :(1)Investigating the core components of UG(2)The ultimate goal is the origin and evolution of "current" human language.(3)Adopting the null hypothesis in research into the origin of language(4)Studying the origin and evolution of individual properties/principles of UG. That is, we do not consider language as a whole/package.(5)Disallowing the notion of "arbitrariness"5.Within a simple/elegant minimalist theory, we should investigate not only the origin and evolution of Merge but also that of probe-goal relations, predication, and modification. Less