Journal of Language and Linguistics Vol. 4 No. 1, 56-73 (2005) ISSN 1475-8989 ‘Driving’ towards Simplicity: In (Partial) Defense of the ‘Armchair Linguist’ * One-Soon Her National Chengchi University, Taiwan Abstract This paper argues that the stereotyped ‘armchair linguist’s research methodology based on limited introspected data and argumentation by the simplicity measure can be defended as long as the findings reveal insights into language. We first demonstrate that a simple and elegant ‘Universal Grammar’ for the side of the road to drive on can be achieved with just such a methodology. We then demonstrate the same point by contrasting the conventional lexical mapping theory (LMT) with a simplified version proposed in Her (2003). Finally, we demonstrate that the simplest, strictest interpretation of the Unified Mapping Principle or the θ-Criterion, as proposed in Her (2004), in fact better accounts for Mandarin resultative inversion than a relaxed but more complicated interpretation. 1. Introduction Within the tradition of generative grammar, especially in the particular vein advocated by Chomsky, theoretical advances and syntactic argumentation are often motivated, and evaluated, by a measure of simplicity. The constant drive for simplicity indeed has been one of the most significant motivations for the successive evolution of the earliest Transformation Grammar to the Standard Theory, to the Government and Biding framework, to the Principles and Parameters Theory, and finally to the current Minimalist Program. The general X-bar scheme that replaced the stipulated phrase structure rules and the single operation of Move-α generalized from the various construction-specific transformations are two excellent examples. In certain versions the Minimalist Program, even these two are further simplified as Merge and Agree, the only two syntactic operations. The goal of linguistic research is to reveal insights into the nature of the Universal Grammar (UG). Another stereotypical characterization of the generative grammar is the use of limited introspected data based on grammaticality judgment of native speakers, often the * Major portions of the paper were written while I was visiting the School of Information Technology, Bond University, in 2003 and 2004. I thank the dean of the school, Professor Ron Davison, for his kind support. Part of the research was funded by NSC grants 92-2411-H-004-024 and 93-2411-H-004-006. A previous version was presented at the 2 nd Conference on Research Methodologies in Linguistics, 8 May, 2004, National Chengchi University. I thank the audience and the commentators for their comments and questions. However, I alone am responsible for the content presented here. 56