Recent/Upcoming Talks
- "LLMs and Theories of Meaning", Construction of Meaning seminar, Linguistics Department, Stanford University. February 2024.
- Philosophy of Science Association "Author meets critics session for Language, Science, and Structure". Central APA, New Orleans, February 2024.
- "Mental Imagery and the Transformer Revolution", Reasoning Seminar, Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon. September 2023.
- "Natural Languages and Biological Systems", SOPhiA-2023-Workshop on the Philosophy of Linguistics, Salzburg, September 2023.
- "How to be neutral about linguistic infinity: the Pullum Paradox", Workshop in honour of Geoff Pullum, University of Edinburgh, August 2023.
- Book launch for Language, Science, and Structure, satellite event on the Philosophy of Linguistics at Semantics and Linguistic Theory (SALT 33), Yale University, May 2023.
- "Intersectionality and Mereology", Cape Town Philosophy of Social Science Workshop, University of Cape Town, January 2023.
- "What is a Possible Human Language?" Invited Talk, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, November 2022.
- "What is a Possible Human Language?", Formal Linguistics Seminar, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, October 2022.
- "Biolinguistics and Biological Systems: a complex systems analysis of language", Miami Philosophy Colloquium, University of Miami, March 2022.
- "Biolinguistics and Biological Systems: a complex systems analysis of language", Kleiner Lecture Series, University of Georgia, Athens USA, March 2022.
- "A Localist Approach to Real Patterns: Causal and Discrete Structures", (with Harold Kincaid) Sante Fe Workshop on Real Patterns, Sante Fe Institute for Complex Systems, Feb 2022.
- "Real Patterns and Natural Language", New York Philosophy of Language Workshop, New York University, November 2021.
- "Real Patterns and Natural Language", MIT Work-in-progress seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, November 2021
- "Structures and the Special Sciences: The case of linguistics", Lunchtime Talk, Center for the Philosophy of Science, Pittsburgh, March 2021.
- "I-language: Linguistics as a Case Study of Successful Implementation", The Implementation Challenge II, Arché Research Centre, St Andrews, March 2021.
- "Logic versus Learning: What the paradigm shift in AI means for Africa", HUMA Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, University of Cape Town, Feb 2020.
- "A Puzzle about Compositionality in Machines", Language, Concepts, and Science Workshop, University of Johannesburg, Sep 2019.
- "Structural Realism and Formal Linguistics", Yale Semantics Seminar, Yale University, January 2019.
- "Ideal Theory in Politics as Scientific Modelling", Brown-Bag Series, University of Minnesota. November 2018.
- "Structural Realism and Formal Linguistics", Philosophy Department Seminar, University of Minnesota. November 2018.
- "The Ontology of Words", Language Seminar, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Edinburgh. October 2018.
- "What Words Are", Language and Mind Seminar, Arché Research Centre, St Andrews. October 2018.
- "What Words Are", Departmental Seminar, University of Stellenbosch. September 2018.
- "The Ontology of Words", Departmental Seminar, University of Cape Town. September 2018.
- "Linguistics as a Science of Structures", Form and Formalism Workshop, University of Edinburgh. August 2018.
- "Scientific Modelling in Linguistics and the Cognitive Sciences", Workshop on the Philosophy of Biology and Cognitive Science, Complutense Universidad de Madrid. May 2018.
- "Changing the Curriculum in Political Philosophy", Workshop, University of the Western Cape. May 2018.
- "LLMs and Theories of Meaning", Construction of Meaning seminar, Linguistics Department, Stanford University. February 2024.
- Philosophy of Science Association "Author meets critics session for Language, Science, and Structure". Central APA, New Orleans, February 2024.
- "Mental Imagery and the Transformer Revolution", Reasoning Seminar, Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon. September 2023.
- "Natural Languages and Biological Systems", SOPhiA-2023-Workshop on the Philosophy of Linguistics, Salzburg, September 2023.
- "How to be neutral about linguistic infinity: the Pullum Paradox", Workshop in honour of Geoff Pullum, University of Edinburgh, August 2023.
- Book launch for Language, Science, and Structure, satellite event on the Philosophy of Linguistics at Semantics and Linguistic Theory (SALT 33), Yale University, May 2023.
- "Intersectionality and Mereology", Cape Town Philosophy of Social Science Workshop, University of Cape Town, January 2023.
- "What is a Possible Human Language?" Invited Talk, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, November 2022.
- "What is a Possible Human Language?", Formal Linguistics Seminar, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, October 2022.
- "Biolinguistics and Biological Systems: a complex systems analysis of language", Miami Philosophy Colloquium, University of Miami, March 2022.
- "Biolinguistics and Biological Systems: a complex systems analysis of language", Kleiner Lecture Series, University of Georgia, Athens USA, March 2022.
- "A Localist Approach to Real Patterns: Causal and Discrete Structures", (with Harold Kincaid) Sante Fe Workshop on Real Patterns, Sante Fe Institute for Complex Systems, Feb 2022.
- "Real Patterns and Natural Language", New York Philosophy of Language Workshop, New York University, November 2021.
- "Real Patterns and Natural Language", MIT Work-in-progress seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, November 2021
- "Structures and the Special Sciences: The case of linguistics", Lunchtime Talk, Center for the Philosophy of Science, Pittsburgh, March 2021.
- "I-language: Linguistics as a Case Study of Successful Implementation", The Implementation Challenge II, Arché Research Centre, St Andrews, March 2021.
- "Logic versus Learning: What the paradigm shift in AI means for Africa", HUMA Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, University of Cape Town, Feb 2020.
- "A Puzzle about Compositionality in Machines", Language, Concepts, and Science Workshop, University of Johannesburg, Sep 2019.
- "Structural Realism and Formal Linguistics", Yale Semantics Seminar, Yale University, January 2019.
- "Ideal Theory in Politics as Scientific Modelling", Brown-Bag Series, University of Minnesota. November 2018.
- "Structural Realism and Formal Linguistics", Philosophy Department Seminar, University of Minnesota. November 2018.
- "The Ontology of Words", Language Seminar, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Edinburgh. October 2018.
- "What Words Are", Language and Mind Seminar, Arché Research Centre, St Andrews. October 2018.
- "What Words Are", Departmental Seminar, University of Stellenbosch. September 2018.
- "The Ontology of Words", Departmental Seminar, University of Cape Town. September 2018.
- "Linguistics as a Science of Structures", Form and Formalism Workshop, University of Edinburgh. August 2018.
- "Scientific Modelling in Linguistics and the Cognitive Sciences", Workshop on the Philosophy of Biology and Cognitive Science, Complutense Universidad de Madrid. May 2018.
- "Changing the Curriculum in Political Philosophy", Workshop, University of the Western Cape. May 2018.
Doctoral Project
Abstract
The philosophy of linguistics is a rich philosophical domain which encompasses various disciplines. One of the aims of this thesis is to unite theoretical linguistics, the philosophy of language, the philosophy of science (particularly mathematics and modelling) and the ontology of language. Each part of the research presented here targets separate but related goals with the unified aim of bringing greater clarity to the foundations of linguistics from a philosophical perspective. Part I is devoted to the methodology of linguistics in terms of scientific modelling. I argue against both the Conceptualist and Platonist (as well as Pluralist) interpretations of linguistic theory by means of three grades of mathematical involvement for linguistic grammars. Part II explores the specific models of syntactic and semantics by an analogy with the harder sciences. In Part III, I develop a novel account of linguistic ontology and in the process comment on the type-token distinction, the role and connection with mathematics and the nature of linguistic objects. In this research, I offer a structural realist interpretation of linguistic methodology with a nuanced structuralist picture for its ontology. This proposal is informed by historical and current work in theoretical linguistics as well as philosophical views on ontology, scientific modelling and mathematics.
PHD THESIS
The philosophy of linguistics is a rich philosophical domain which encompasses various disciplines. One of the aims of this thesis is to unite theoretical linguistics, the philosophy of language, the philosophy of science (particularly mathematics and modelling) and the ontology of language. Each part of the research presented here targets separate but related goals with the unified aim of bringing greater clarity to the foundations of linguistics from a philosophical perspective. Part I is devoted to the methodology of linguistics in terms of scientific modelling. I argue against both the Conceptualist and Platonist (as well as Pluralist) interpretations of linguistic theory by means of three grades of mathematical involvement for linguistic grammars. Part II explores the specific models of syntactic and semantics by an analogy with the harder sciences. In Part III, I develop a novel account of linguistic ontology and in the process comment on the type-token distinction, the role and connection with mathematics and the nature of linguistic objects. In this research, I offer a structural realist interpretation of linguistic methodology with a nuanced structuralist picture for its ontology. This proposal is informed by historical and current work in theoretical linguistics as well as philosophical views on ontology, scientific modelling and mathematics.
PHD THESIS
Previous Projects
My previous research has been quite diverse. At the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation in Amsterdam, I studied formal logic and mathematical linguistics. My thesis attempted to provide a compositional account of dependency grammar and in so doing comment more broadly on certain theoretical aspects of compositionality in natural language and formal linguistics. I also studied Optimality Theory, Cognitive Science, Generative Linguistics, Model-theoretic Syntax and Formal Semantics.
At the Universities of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Cape Town, I worked on the philosophy of time with Professors Lawrence Sklar (Michigan) and Bernhard Weiss (Cape Town). There I offered a B-series view of the ontology of time while commenting on McTaggart puzzles, tense-logic and temporal semantics. I later tenselessly spent some B-time developing an aspect of this research at the University of Leeds with Professor Robin Le Poidevin.
At the Universities of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Cape Town, I worked on the philosophy of time with Professors Lawrence Sklar (Michigan) and Bernhard Weiss (Cape Town). There I offered a B-series view of the ontology of time while commenting on McTaggart puzzles, tense-logic and temporal semantics. I later tenselessly spent some B-time developing an aspect of this research at the University of Leeds with Professor Robin Le Poidevin.