A Note on the Creative Aspect of Language Use

In her article The Creative Aspect of Chomsky's Use of the Notion of Creativity (Philosophical Review, January 1981), Margaret Drach accuses me of having performed prestidigitation trick, of various contradictions, of changing fundamental concepts without warning or acknowledgement after they had served their propaganda function, and of numerous other sins. A careful look, however, reveals serious errors of reasoning and gross misreading of the very passages she cites; I will keep to these for the most part, since they suffice to refute her allegations. A few examples follow, but first, a brief review of the theses that Drach considers and an analysis of her basic argument. One thesis is that:1