Bloomfield and Skinner: Speech-Community, Functions of Language, and Scientific Activity

The approaches of Bloomfield and Skinner on the topics of speech-community, functions of language, and language and scientific activity are characterized; a comparative analysis follows; and approximations between the two authors are pointed out. The most important approximations are the verbal community as the ultimate source of language; the main function of language of obtaining practical effects in the world; the characterization of aconsiderable part of scientific activity as verbal; and the scientific activity as being deeply committed with successful action. The difference found is related to the subject matter: Bloomfield describes the system of the language of the community, and Skinner does the functional analysis of the repertoire of the individual.