Ever since the publication of Chomsky抯 book Lectures on Government and Binding in 1981, the term 揋B Theory?or simply 揋B?has
become very much popular among people studying
generative grammar to refer to the theoretical model before the Minimalist
Program. However, Chomsky (1988) maintains that the term should not be used from the very start because it is harmful and highly misleading. Although the notions of government and binding are prominent, their status was not fundamentally different from other notions in the modular theories of Universal Grammar. Therefore, the term is not a proper representation of the essence of UG, and the maintenance of the term will do harm to the research program. Chomsky strongly urges that such notions of GB Theory be abandoned. Instead, the approach to the problems of language should be called 損rinciples and parameters approach? In the research program of generative grammar, similar to 揳tomic theory? what we have are assumptions but not dogmas. Unfortunately, most people have been ignorant of Chomsky抯 remarks on 揋B Theory? The reason is that their attitudes toward generative grammar are mostly instrumental. They seldom think of reading Chomsky抯 original works for the truly understanding of the internalist definition of language and the essence of Universal Grammar. It is just natural for them to be mistaken about the theory construction of generative grammar and the scientific methods used. In the pursuit of Universal Grammar, what we need first is to read the original works written by Chomsky, however difficult the reading might be.