Echoes of Aristotle: Grammar and Rhetoric, conditions of the text generation algorithm

Abstract

Aristotle’s contributions to literary studies remain influential, notwithstanding the scepticism of Cartesian linguistics regarding his authority as a foundation for scientific evidence. It was the grammarians themselves who affirmed the significance of these studies by acknowledging the nuanced linguistic skill of the speaker. They discerned that the lexical ambiguity, critiqued by some philosophers as a flaw inherent to colloquial language, stemmed from the process of grammaticalization—a concept Aristotle elucidated in his treatises on grammar, poetics and rhetoric. This article draws connections between the enduring legacy of rhetorical tradition throughout the modern era and the culmination of mental process automation exemplified by the ChatGPT algorithm. Following Chomsky’s insights, it argues that while the machine employs vast resources to mimic the boundless creativity of human beings, it does not surpass it.