Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Hartshorne, Joshua K.
• Marshall, Chloë

Titel

The many blessings of abstraction: A commentary on Ambridge (2020)

Ist Teil von

• First language, 2020-10, Vol.40 (5-6), p.581-584

Ort / Verlag

London, England: SAGE Publications

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Ambridge argues that the existence of exemplar models for individual phenomena (words, inflection rules, etc.) suggests the feasibility of a unified, exemplars-everywhere model that eschews abstraction. The argument would be strengthened by a description of such a model. However, none is provided. I show that any attempt to do so would immediately run into significant difficulties – difficulties that illustrate the utility of abstractions. I conclude with a brief review of modern symbolic approaches that address the concerns Ambridge raises about abstractions.