La creatività dell’uso linguistico tra Chomsky e Wittgenstein

Abstract

The debate on linguistic creativity is very much influenced by the ideas of Noam Chomsky. In recent writings, he believes that the key element that characterizes creativity is a recursive computational procedure which is based in the brain of individuals. He also believes that there is another form of creativity that is expressed in the freedom of language use, whose outlines are mysterious. Thus, according to Chomsky, creativity is an individual matter and internal to the subject. This way of interpreting linguistic creativity poses some issues. According to the interpretation of Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations pursued by the scientist Stuart Kauffman, creativity of language is expressed in language use that is social, collective and contingent. This article discusses why this second interpretation of linguistic creativity is preferable.