Esa Itkonen (born January 3, 1944) is a Finnish linguist, philosopher and language theorist. He is professor emeritus of general linguistics at the University of Turku.[1][2] Itkonen has authored several publications on linguistic methodology, philosophy of linguistics, history of linguistics, and linguistic typology. He has defended a humanist approach to linguistics, criticising sociobiology, generative grammar, and Cognitive Linguistics.
Career
Esa Itkonen earned his PhD at the University of Helsinki in 1974.[3] He was Professor of general linguistics at the University of Turku from 1982 to 2012 and Docent of philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä from 1988 to 2012.[2]
Linguistic theory
In his 2005 book Analogy as Structure and Process, Itkonen argues that analogy is the most central concept in language formation. He proposes a distinction between analogy as structure, referring to a static relation between different systems; and analogy as process, or a dynamism which produces analogical structures. According to Itkonen, various forms of analogical reasoning are hidden behind other terminology in the study of language and other cognitive domains.[4]
Books in English
- (1975) Concerning the Relationship between Linguistics and Logic. University of Helsinki.
- (1976) Linguistics and Empiricalness : Answers to Criticisms. University of Helsinki. ISBN 9789514508905
- (1978) Grammatical Theory and Metascience : A Critical Investigation into the Methodological and Philosophical Foundations of "Autonomous" Linguistics. John Benjamins. ISBN 9027209065
- (1983) Causality in Linguistic Theory : A Critical Investigation into the Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of 'Non-Autonomous Linguistics'. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253313252
- (1991) Universal History of Linguistics : India, China, Arabia, Europe. John Benjamins. ISBN 9789027277671
- (2003) Methods of Formalization beside and inside Both Autonomous and Non-autonomous Linguistics. University of Turku. ISBN 9512924854
- (2003) What Is Language? : A Study in the Philosophy of Linguistics. University of Turku. ISBN 9512926172
- (2005) Analogy as Structure and Process : Approaches in Linguistic, Cognitive Psychology, and Philosophy of Science. John Benjamins. ISBN 9789027294012
- (2005) Ten Non-European Languages : An Aid to the Typologist. University of Turku. ISBN 9789512927692
References
External links
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