Inconsistency and plausible reasoning in an analysis of German affricates: A case study in the philosophy of linguistics

The paper puts forward a metatheoretical approach which is capable of accounting for the emergence and resolution of contradictions in linguistic theories. After the main tenets of this approach have been introduced, the authors illustrate them by carrying out a detailed case study on the argumentation structure of an analysis of German affricates. In the final section general conclusions are drawn that go beyond the particular case study and reveal hidden aspects of theory construction in linguistics. The main finding is that linguistic theories work in a way fundamentally different both from what the analytical philosophy of science and practicing linguists themselves assume.