[jballanc]

From a mathematical/theoretical point of view, this is an interesting article, but I think it misses the larger point of programming language paradigms. Yes, the PL researchers have their reasons for creating languages that are object oriented, functional, procedural, imperative, declarative, logical, etc. but those are rarely, if ever, the reason that programmers choose these languages.

Ultimately, the main purpose of a programming language is to convey intent to other programmers. If calling an object a function just because it has a `__call__` method makes it easier to convey intent, then it doesn't really matter that the object is not really a function. Personally, I'd be interested in any research into the ability to convey intent using these different paradigms.

[rybosome]

In the case of natural language, I would agree with a statement similarly worded to yours above, "The main purpose of a ... language is to convey intent to other(s)". (Sorry for butchering, I promise I'm getting to a point =) )

I'm not sure I'd agree with respect to programming languages, however. These are artificial languages designed to convey a limited set of ideas, with varying degrees of abstractions over various concepts in electrical engineering and mathematics. Given this, the purpose of a programming language isn't just to communicate with others, it's also to shape how you approach problems.

Anecdotally, learning the strict functional programming paradigm is what allowed me to pass an extremely difficult technical interview recently. The emphasis on dataflow and "do what I mean, not what I say" truly changed how I thought and approached problems. Previously, my years of experience in imperative languages lead me down a road that was a bit too missing-the-forest-for-the-trees when it came time to solve a difficult, interview-style algorithmic question.