The Argument Structure Of Yuan Theory Research

This is a dissertation on the Theory of Argument Structure. Our target of discussion is the theoretical model that has been formed since "the Principle and Parameter" period. The theory has been shaped in1990s in "the Minimalist Approach" period and incorporated some viewpoint of cognitive grammarians. We try to provide a complete and detailed analysis of relevant discussion of the theoretical model and, on the basis of it, we shall argue that it is necessary to make a paradigmatic shift on the existing theory. Overall, we consider two aspects of the theory of argument structure need to be taken into consideration:Firstly, the word categorization, which we deem to be of pivotal importance to the construction of the theory of argument structure, is either arbitrarily theorized or in the pitfall of circularity. Furthermore, the current analysis techniques, in addition to its incapability of being integrated into a theoretically sound system with existing relevant linguistic-philosophical foundations, lacks, on several levels, logically consistency and completeness. In the light of these inadequacies, we attempted to introduce phenomenology as a new philosophical basis for the theory of argument structure as a refinement and substitution of traditional Cartesian and pure empiricist approach. We then developed an adaptive scheme of the Graph Theory (of Discrete Mathematics) as the new analysis technique. The technique, as we shall see, will be a comparatively satisfying construction for the new philosophical basis. After theoretical construction, we made an empirical application of the new theoretical model on Mandarin Chinese. Finally, an evaluation and expectation of our theory was given.The thesis is partitioned into five chapters. The first chapter is a generalization and evaluation of existing theoretical model and its path of development. In chapter two, we constructed a new philosophical model on the basis of previous analysis and retrospection. We then devised a new analysis technique in correspondence with our new philosophical basis in chapter three, a new terminological system and a complete analysis procedure were also given. The fourth chapter is an empirical application and demonstration of the newly developed theoretical model to Mandarin Chinese. The last chapter offered some perspective on the further possibility of the new model and its current "coordinate".