[FOM] Logic and Linguistics

[John Baldwin]

On the one hand it is a common place to regard first order logic as 
developed in a `formal language'.  On the other hand, some `Chomskian' 
positions claim (e.g. Devlin, The Math Gene page 157)  that phase 
structure grammars give an underlying structure for all natural languages.

First order logic is often thougt of as expressing a very specific subset 
of  what natural language expresses. (a collection of declarative 
sentences).

Can one analyze first order logic in terms of phase structure grammars. 
If so, does someone have a reference.  If I am mixing apples and oranges 
perhaps someone can explain which is which.


John T. Baldwin
Director, Office of Mathematics Education
Department of Mathematics, Statistics, 
and Computer Science  M/C 249
jbaldwin at uic.edu
312-413-2149
Room 327 Science and Engineering Offices (SEO)
851 S. Morgan
Chicago, IL 60607

Assistant to the director
Jan Nekola: 312-413-3750