Lingüísticas ou camaleões? Uma resposta a Tarallo

Abstract

The section DEBATE of this journal has recently published an intriguing article by Fernando Tarallo (1986), in which a certain detachment of the linguistic from the theory he usually follows is recommended as means of enriching linguistic analysis Sensible as it may look at first sight - nothing may seem wiser than being capable of taking into consideration the data - Tarallo's recommendation may have extremely harmful results if certain general traits of scientific theories and of Brazilian culture are taken into account.