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Single Idea 12589

[filed under theme 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 7. Meaning Holism / c. Meaning by Role ]

Full Idea

I call my conceptual role semantics 'non-solipsistic' to contrast it with that of authors (Field, Fodor, Loar) who think of conceptual role solipsistically as a completely internal matter.

Gist of Idea

Some regard conceptual role semantics as an entirely internal matter

Source

Gilbert Harman ((Nonsolipsistic) Conceptual Role Semantics [1987], 12.1)

Book Ref

Harman,Gilbert: 'Reasoning Meaning and Mind' [OUP 1999], p.206


A Reaction

Evidently Harman is influenced by Putnam's Twin Earth, and that meanings ain't in the head, so that the conceptual role has to be extended out into the world to get a good account. I prefer extending into the language community, rather into reality.


The 12 ideas with the same theme [meaning is a role in a large network]:

Sentence meaning is given by the actions to which it would lead [Ramsey]
Meaning from use of thoughts, constructed from concepts, which have a role relating to reality [Harman]
Some regard conceptual role semantics as an entirely internal matter [Harman]
The content of thought is relations, between mental states, things in the world, and contexts [Harman]
A particular functional role is what gives content to a thought [Lewis]
The meaning of a representation is its role in thought, perception or decisions [Block]
'Inferential-role semantics' says meaning is determined by role in inference [Fodor]
Very different mental states can share their contents, so content doesn't seem to be constructed from functional role [Fodor]
A term can have not only a sense and a reference, but also a 'computational role' [Brown,JR]
If meaning depends on conceptual role, what properties are needed to do the job? [Boghossian]
'Conceptual role semantics' says terms have meaning from sentences and/or inferences [Boghossian]
Inferential role semantics is an alternative to semantics that connects to the world [Hofweber]