Inconsistency and plausible reasoning in an analysis of German affricates: A case study in the philosophy of linguistics Andra ´s Kerte ´sz * , Csilla Ra ´kosi Research Group for Theoretical Linguistics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pf. 47, H-4010 Debrecen, Hungary Accepted 31 March 2005 Abstract The paper puts forward a metatheoretical approach which is capable of accounting for the emer- gence and resolution of contradictions in linguistic theories. After the main tenets of this approach have been introduced, the authors illustrate them by carrying out a detailed case study on the argu- mentation structure of an analysis of German affricates. In the final section general conclusions are drawn that go beyond the particular case study and reveal hidden aspects of theory construction in linguistics. The main finding is that linguistic theories work in a way fundamentally different both from what the analytical philosophy of science and practicing linguists themselves assume. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Theory of linguistics; Phonology; Plausible reasoning; Scientific argumentation; Scientific reasoning 1. Introduction 1.1. Metatheoretical preliminaries In their well-known textbook on the philosophy of language, Devitt and Sterelny describe the relationship between linguistics and metascientific theories as follows: 0388-0001/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.langsci.2005.03.002 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: andras.kertesz@t-online.hu (A. Kerte ´sz). Language Sciences 28 (2006) 386–423 www.elsevier.com/locate/langsci