Large Language Models as Modal Models in Linguistics
The rapid advancement of large language models (LLMs) has intensified debates about their significance for linguistic theory. These debates are commonly divided into three positions: insulationism, which regards LLMs as irrelevant to human language; eliminativism, which claims that LLMs can replace traditional linguistic theories; and conciliationism, which views them as useful tools for linguistic research. To clarify these positions, this paper applies the framework of modal modeling from the philosophy of science. We argue that LLMs possess genuine epistemic value as minimal models, even without structural correspondence to human cognition. In particular, they can provide how-possibly ...
| Authors | Haruto Suzuki, Saku Sugawara |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.CL |
| Published | 9 June 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 9 June 2026 |
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