more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 18011

[filed under theme 2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 8. Category Mistake / b. Category mistake as syntactic ]

Full Idea

The infelicity of category mistakes seems to be universal across languages.

Gist of Idea

Category mistakes seem to be universal across languages

Source

Ofra Magidor (Category Mistakes [2013], 2.3)

Book Ref

Magidor,Ofra: 'Category Mistakes' [OUP 2013], p.33

A Reaction

Magidor rightly offers this fact to refute the claim that category mistakes are purely syntax (since syntax obviously varies hugely across languages). I also take the fact to show that category mistakes concern the world, and not merely language.

The 5 ideas with the same theme [category mistakes as result of syntax errors]:

18719 Grammar says that saying 'sound is red' is not false, but nonsense [Wittgenstein]
18735 Talking nonsense is not following the rules [Wittgenstein]
18011 Category mistakes seem to be universal across languages [Magidor]
18012 Category mistakes as syntactic needs a huge number of fine-grained rules [Magidor]
18013 Embedded (in 'he said that…') category mistakes show syntax isn't the problem [Magidor]