Neo-Grammarians

The goals of this text briefly refers to the following problems: a) can analysis of a theoretical enterprise of Robert W. Cox  be evaluated as eclectic? b) Could Cox´s work be structured in a manner inconsistent with a critical perspective, given that some of its important components to align with a final version of a liberal idealism? c) Does the centrality of coxiana theorizing around the formulations of Antonio Gramsci connect to the theoretical and practical assumptions of the whole Italian Communist work? The hypotheses to be summarily shown are: a) the theoretical approach of Cox incurs in eclecticism in the epistemological framework that juxtaposes incompatible aspects taken together the thoughts of Max Horkheimer and Antonio Gramsci. b) The eclecticism and the huge range of differentiating principles of critical theory and a problem-solving theory lead the first to be seen in some respects as a theoretical construct compatible with liberal idealism. c) Knowledge of Gramsci's work of Cox is limited, ignoring conceptual and methodological issues relevant Sardinian author.

O objetivo do texto remete sumariamente aos seguintes problemas: a) Em análise do conjunto de sua obra, o empreendimento teórico de Robert W. Cox referente à teoria crítica pode ser avaliado como eclético? b) A obra de Cox poderia se articular de modo incoerente com uma perspectiva crítica, tendo em vista que alguns de seus componentes importantes a alinhariam com uma última versão de um idealismo liberal? c) A centralidade da teorização coxiana em torno das formulações de Antonio Gramsci faz jus às premissas teórico-práticas do conjunto da obra do comunista italiano? As hipóteses a serem demonstradas sumariamente são: a) A abordagem teórica de Cox incorre em ecletismo no âmbito epistemológico na medida em que justapõe aspectos incompatíveis entre si tomados dos pensamentos de Max Horkheimer e Antonio Gramsci. b) O ecletismo e a enorme amplitude dos princípios diferenciadores de uma teoria crítica e uma teoria problem-solving levam a primeira a ser entendida em alguns aspectos como um construto teórico compatível com o idealismo liberal. c) O conhecimento do conjunto da obra de Gramsci por Cox é limitado, ignorando aspectos conceituais e metodológicos relevantes do autor sardo.

In the first half of the 20th century following the Neogrammarian tradition, most researchers believed that sound change was always conditioned by phonetic phenomena and never by grammar. Beginning in the 1960s, proponents of the generative school put forward cases of grammatically conditioned sound change. From then until now, new cases have continued to come to light. A close look at the development of intervocalic -s- in Greek, reveals the divergent approach of the two schools of thought. All examples of grammatical conditioning are amenable to explanation as some combination of regular sound change, analogy, or borrowing. Neither the Neogrammarian belief in exceptionless phonetically conditioned sound change nor the generative inspired belief in grammatical conditioning is a falsifiable hypothesis. Because of its assumptions are more parsimonious and its descriptive power more subtle, the Neogrammarian position is the more appealing of these two equally unprovable doctrines.