From Syntax to Cognition:Insights from Generative Linguistics

Abstract

Linguistics has undergone major development since Saussure’s work, which initiated an epistemological break that shifted language studies from a historical perspective to a descriptive one. Chomsky later reoriented this field along a new methodological path grounded in the rationalist–mentalist tradition,elevating linguistic theory to a central position within the cognitive science—discipline concerned with the structures and products of the human mind.This research aims to clarify the cognitive-scientific perspective on the nature and functioning of linguistic knowledge. It examines the principles underlying Chomsky’s generative approach, particularly his attempt to model linguistic competence through formal and explicit representations. This shift has fostered new interdisciplinary bridges, expanding the theoretical and applied horizons of linguistic inquiry.