Esa Itkonen

Esa Itkonen

Esa Itkonen (born January 3, 1944) is a Finnish linguist, philosopher and language theorist. He is professor emeritus of general linguistics at the University of Turku.[1][2] Itkonen has authored several publications on linguistic methodology, philosophy of linguistics, history of linguistics, and linguistic typology. He has defended a humanist approach to linguistics, criticising sociobiology, generative grammar, and Cognitive Linguistics.

Career

Esa Itkonen earned his PhD at the University of Helsinki in 1974.[3] He was Professor of general linguistics at the University of Turku from 1982 to 2012 and Docent of philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä from 1988 to 2012.[2]

Linguistic theory

In his 2005 book Analogy as Structure and Process, Itkonen argues that analogy is the most central concept in language formation. He proposes a distinction between analogy as structure, referring to a static relation between different systems; and analogy as process, or a dynamism which produces analogical structures. According to Itkonen, various forms of analogical reasoning are hidden behind other terminology in the study of language and other cognitive domains.[4]

Books in English

  • (1975) Concerning the Relationship between Linguistics and Logic. University of Helsinki.
  • (1976) Linguistics and Empiricalness : Answers to Criticisms. University of Helsinki. ISBN 9789514508905
  • (1978) Grammatical Theory and Metascience : A Critical Investigation into the Methodological and Philosophical Foundations of "Autonomous" Linguistics. John Benjamins. ISBN 9027209065
  • (1983) Causality in Linguistic Theory : A Critical Investigation into the Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of 'Non-Autonomous Linguistics'. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253313252
  • (1991) Universal History of Linguistics : India, China, Arabia, Europe. John Benjamins. ISBN 9789027277671
  • (2003) Methods of Formalization beside and inside Both Autonomous and Non-autonomous Linguistics. University of Turku. ISBN 9512924854
  • (2003) What Is Language? : A Study in the Philosophy of Linguistics. University of Turku. ISBN 9512926172
  • (2005) Analogy as Structure and Process : Approaches in Linguistic, Cognitive Psychology, and Philosophy of Science. John Benjamins. ISBN 9789027294012
  • (2005) Ten Non-European Languages : An Aid to the Typologist. University of Turku. ISBN 9789512927692

References

  1. ^ "People: Esa Itkonen". University of Turku. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  2. ^ a b Itkonen, Esa (2018). "The central role of imagination in linguistics, philosophy and logic". Public Journal of Semiotics. 8 (2): 49–74. doi:10.37693/pjos.2018.8.20257. S2CID 213461986. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  3. ^ Itkonen, Esa (1974). Linguistics and metascience (PhD thesis). University of Turku. ISBN 951-99029-4-5.
  4. ^ Glaz, Adam (2016). "Book review: Esa Itkonen, Analogy as structure and process. Approaches in linguistics, cognitive psychology and philosophy of science". Word. 62 (2): 139–142. doi:10.1080/00437956.2016.1180003. S2CID 148454697.