more from this thinker | more from this text
Full Idea
Conceptual role semantics involves meanings of expressions determined by used contents of concepts and thoughts, contents constructed from concepts, concepts determined by functional role, which involves relations to things in the world.
Gist of Idea
Meaning from use of thoughts, constructed from concepts, which have a role relating to reality
Source
Gilbert Harman ((Nonsolipsistic) Conceptual Role Semantics [1987], 12.1)
Book Ref
Harman,Gilbert: 'Reasoning Meaning and Mind' [OUP 1999], p.206
A Reaction
This essay is the locus classicus for conceptual-role semantics. Any attempt to say what something IS by giving an account of its function always feels wrong to me.
| 18818 | Sentence meaning is given by the actions to which it would lead [Ramsey] |
| 12588 | Meaning from use of thoughts, constructed from concepts, which have a role relating to reality [Harman] |
| 12589 | Some regard conceptual role semantics as an entirely internal matter [Harman] |
| 12600 | The content of thought is relations, between mental states, things in the world, and contexts [Harman] |
| 16278 | A particular functional role is what gives content to a thought [Lewis] |
| 18033 | The meaning of a representation is its role in thought, perception or decisions [Block] |
| 12634 | 'Inferential-role semantics' says meaning is determined by role in inference [Fodor] |
| 3003 | Very different mental states can share their contents, so content doesn't seem to be constructed from functional role [Fodor] |
| 9640 | A term can have not only a sense and a reference, but also a 'computational role' [Brown,JR] |
| 9378 | If meaning depends on conceptual role, what properties are needed to do the job? [Boghossian] |
| 9377 | 'Conceptual role semantics' says terms have meaning from sentences and/or inferences [Boghossian] |
| 21641 | Inferential role semantics is an alternative to semantics that connects to the world [Hofweber] |