Book Cover -- Half-Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Part I Exposition of the problem -- Chapter 1 The problem of language change -- 1.1 WHY DOES LANGUAGE CHANGE? -- 1.2 ORGANISM OR MECHANISM? -- 1.3 INTENTIONS, PLANS, AND CONSCIOUSNESS -- 1.4 ESSENCE, CHANGE, AND GENESIS -- Chapter 2 Historical reconstruction -- 2.1 THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE: A STORY AND ITS INTERPRETATION -- The first stage -- The second stage -- The third stage -- The fourth stage -- The fifth stage -- The sixth stage -- The seventh stage -- 2.2 MANDEVILLE'S PARADOX -- 2.3 CONJECTURAL HISTORY -- Chapter 3 In the prison of dichotomies -- 3.1 NATURE VERSUS ART-INSTINCT VERSUS REASON -- 3.2 ARGUMENTS IN PRISON: SCHLEICHER, MÜLLER, WHITNEY -- 3.3 IS LANGUACE MADE BY PEOPLE? -- Part II Solution and discussion -- Chapter 4 The working of the invisible hand -- 4.1 LANGUAGE-A PHENOMENON OF THE THIRD KIND -- 4.2 INVISIBLE-HAND EXPLANATIONS -- 4.3 CAUSAL, FINAL, AND FUNCTIONAL EXPLANATIONS -- 4.4 MAXIMS OF LINGUISTIC ACTIONS -- 4.5 STASIS AND DYNAMICS OF LANGUAGE -- Chapter 5 Discussion -- 5.1 LÜDTKE'S LAW OF LANGUAGE CHANGE -- 5.2 ON THE THEORY OF NATURAL NESS -- 5.3 DIACHRONY OR SYNCHRONY? -- 5.4 CHOMSKY'S I-LANGUAGE -- 5.5 POPPER'S WORLD 3 -- Chapter 6 Conclusion -- 6.1 LANGUAGE CHANGE AS AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS -- 6.2 RESUMÉ AND PLEA FOR EXPLANATORY ADEQUACY -- Notes -- References -- Index.