On the Status of Representations and Derivations

I reargue the point here that current mixed theories of syntax that involve both derivations and representations are redundant and in principle less restrictive than their pure representational or pure derivational equivalents. Next I show that no pure derivational theory of narrow syntax exists. To be minimally adequate, derivational theories must be mixed, hence the arguments against mixed theories apply to these too. In addition to this point I argue that everything else being equal and with no additional stipulations added, derivational theories with the role of move are less restrictive than representational theories with the concept of chain. In the third section of the paper I consider the derivational explanation of the asymmetry of the notion of c-command and conclude that this explanation, like other explanations of c-command (and also like other derivational explanations) is not successful. I suggest instead that we should eliminate c-command from the grammar and replace it by simpler interacting notions. 1 Representations and derivations, – the status of the mixed theory 1.1 Restrictiveness and duplication As set out in earlier work elegant syntax (ES) differs from the minimalist framework in several important respects. 1 I shall elaborate here some remarks made earlier on those features of this approach that relate to the so-called representational-derivational issue. I argued that since chain and move express the same type of relation, a theory that contains *I am grateful to Noam Chomsky for a series of helpful e-mail exchanges relating to some of the points discussed below. I’d like to thank Klaus Abels, David Pesetsky and Michal Starke. for comments that I hope resulted in clarifications. As usual, no agreement on anything or transfer of responsibility is implied. 1 Brody (1997a,b, 1998a,b). Although, in these works, I referred to the framework of elegant syntax as perfect syntax, the operative sense of perfection was invariably that of theoretical elegance. Hence the change of terminology.