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Title:: Analogy of“ Children Are Linguists” Viewed from the Perspective ofPeircean Logic for Scientific Discovery

Abstract:: According to the Peircean logic for scientific discovery，the abduction is the key logic tool to buildscientific hypotheses which lead to scientific discoveries，while the analogy is also an important logic meansfor building a concrete model for a scientific theory and a discursive instrument for promulgating the scientifictheory and discourse. Chomsky’s analogy of“ Children are linguists” is a successful case in the field ofpsycholinguistics，where the Peircean abduction is effectively used，and a classical example of the successfuluse of the analogical reasoning and rhetoric in building the discourse of a scientific theory. An in-depth analysisof the logic involved in the analogy of“ Children are linguists” from the perspective of the Peircean philosophyof science will lead to a better understanding of Chomsky’s innatism and shed new light on the transdiciplinarymotivation for the return of mentalism to the field of psychology.