This paper examines and criticizes Lakoff's notions of a natural logic and of a generative semantics described in terms of logic. The author argues that the relationship of these notions to logic as normally understood is unclear but suggests a number of possible interpretations of the thesis of generative semantics. Further, on these interpretations, the thesis of generative semantics is considered false, unless it be taken as a mere notational variant of Chomskyan theory. In addition, he asserts that Lakoff's work may provide a service in that it constitutes a reductio ad absurdum of the derivational paradigm of modern linguistics and shows that only a system with the ability to reconsider its own interferences can do the job that Lakoff sets up for linguistic enquiry. (Author/DD)