RE: Deconstructing Deep Structure

From: Clayton Bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Sat May 24 1997 - 16:12:11 EDT


RE: Deconstructing Deep Structure

Thanks to Professor Conrad for helping me see the obvious. I reread
the section in Richard Young on the Objective Genitive (p 31) and I
think I see how he is using *deep structure* in that context. I am not
saying that I agree with his use of the term or it's implications.

In my first post I tried to find out if *deep structure* is just a
synonym for what I call the functional level of the language. If I
read Professor Conrad correctly I think his answer is yes. I am
willing to accept (provisionally) that Richard Young is using the term
in that sense but is everyone using it that way?

Let's look at a different example. The following is an snip from a
post by Jim Beal (b-greek digest #773) :

Jim Beal Wrote:

>>>>>>>>>>>>
Language is deeper than speech!!! Surface irregularities do not negate
the existence of a perfectly orderly, rational, deep structure. It
just makes it more difficult to understand. In a flowing stream, a
surface irregularity is an indication of the presence of a rock in the
depth. If one looks intently past the surface irregularity, one can
see the outlines of the rock. >>>>>>>>>>

How is *deep structure* being used in this context?

The more I here this term used the more I think there is something
deeply mystical about this concept. Does invoking the name of *deep
structure* involve accepting a whole set of prepositions about the
relationship between language and metaphysics, something very profound
like the Augustinian Logos Doctrine? (I should probably send this
question to Ronald Nash.)

Now I am not afraid of metaphysics, but I don't understand all the
baggage that is included with this term *deep structure.* For that
reason it makes me nervous.

Clay Bartholomew
Three Tree Point



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