CAN A MODULAR APPROACH TO BINDING BE SUCCESSFUL?

Anaphora and Language Design, by Eric Reuland, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2011, xix+437pp.

Abstract

In this review article, I take a critical look at the way Eric Reuland, in Anaphora and Language Design, presents his modular approach to binding, especially in relation to minimalist conceptions. I mainly discuss the general assessment in this book of the canonical binding theory (CBT), developed by Chomsky (1981), and the way it locates itself in relation to the Minimalist Program. I argue that this book, contrary to its intention, may best be regarded as giving a warning against minimalist approaches to binding, stressing the importance of capturing cross-linguistic variation in terms of fine-grained notions and mechanisms that supplement macrouniversals of the CBT.