From: Noam Chomsky <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 6, 2015 11:13 PM To: Jeffrey E. Subject: RE: Re: Thinking about it, but I don't see how once can assign a value to a sentence (token or type or looked at even more abstractly, say the proposition expressed) in isolation from contexts, and value will vary all over the map as contexts vary. Take the standard example "the cat is on the mat," typically valueless, but not if the information conveyed is a signal to set off nuclear weapons that will destroy the world. Generalizes. On 3, there is a place for probabilities in the study of use of language (e.g., Charles Yang's integration of UG and learning theory in study of acquisition), but there is no indication of how they might enter into I-language. The concepts don't seem relevant. As for category theory, it makes sense to appeal to it if the results obtained at this level of abstraction have implications for the particular system under investigation. I don't see how it would be true in this case. Would we, say, learn more about the roots and implications of the copy theory of displacement if we abstracted to category theory? I don't see how. I'll ask Valeria if she's gotten the book yet. Sounds like a great evening. Noam From: Jeffrey E. [mailto:[email protected]) Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2015 3:45 AM To: Noam Chomsky Subject: Re: 1. the terms - value , money ,and currency- need definition. separate and apart from an intrinsic worth to an individual , the hungry one . or the Indian tooth manufacturer, either can actually be consumed or merely stand as a store of value or medium of exchange. a piece of paper representing either is the familiar form of money, . a dollar bill.. as you know the US version used to say the convertible into something. ( gold silver ) . now it says trust me. its worth one dollar. , the trading of dollars is well known. I wondered whether sentences ( concepts without being necessarily written on paper