On the practical consequences of theoretical principles

Abstract By contrasting the different explanations offered by two approaches - Generative Grammar and Form-Content analysis - for the same linguistic data (the non-occurrence of ∗ se se sequences in Spanish) it is demonstrated that analytical practice is indeed dependent on theoretical principles. Generative Grammar's view of language as a unique, species-specific phenomenon, is shown to be coherent both with an acceptance of traditional categories and with a purely model-like, ‘internal’ explanation. Form-Content's view of language as a tool for communication manipulated by human beings results in an ‘external’ type explanation: the non-occurrence of se se is only to be expected, given the Form-Content (non-traditional) account of the observed uses of se in Spanish.