Noam Chomsky
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

From: Noam Chomsky
To: Marcello Barbieri
Date: 10 March 2001

Dear Prof. Barbieri,

Just found your book at my office today, in the usual huge stack of mail,
books, papers, etc. It looked so intriguing that I started reading it on
the way home. Luckily for me, the bus was late, so I had more than the
usual amount of time. It is really fascinating. Am about half way
through, and will get back to it later tonight. Thanks very much for
sending. Very much along the lines of my own recent work, in some ways.
Since the modern subject of the study of language took shape about 50 years
ago in what's sometimes called a "biolinguistic" framework, it seemed clear
to me that some day we would have to try to go beyond "universal grammar"
-- the relevant genetic endowment -- and try to find out not just what it
is but why it is this way, looking for the kinds of factors you mention in
discussing cellular epigenesis. I was much intrigued by work of Turing on
morphogenesis, and D'Arcy Thompson's classic work. In recent years, enough
has been learned so that the questions seem perhaps open to serious
inquiry, and what seems to be a sensible research program has taken shape,
with I think interesting results. Some of the best work is being done not
far from where you are, in Siena, Milan, Venice, and a few other places.
Had the great pleasure of spending a month in Siena about a year ago.

You asked if I had comments. One issue that seems to me unclear is whether
what you call "the strong version" (p. 21) is really a falsifiable
hypothesis. That can be so only if the concept "living organism" is
antecedently defined. But it seems to me that the project at this point is
to define it. Not an unfamiliar pattern in the history of the sciences.

Anyway, I am really enjoying the book. Thanks for sending.

Noam Chomsky