Review of Merge and the Strong Minimalist Thesis

Abstract

This review first provides a summary of the central ideas in Merge and the Strong Minimalist Thesis and then presents a discussion of the more controversial points. The book offers an introduction to the Minimalist Program. The focus is on Merge, which plays a central role in the Faculty of Language because it is “the primary structure-building device of the syntax” (p. 2). The book clarifies the status of Theta Theory, Search, and Workspace, and provides a novel account of passives and obligatory control.