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Single Idea 18013

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

Full Idea

The embedding data (such as 'John said that the number two is green', compared to '*John said that me likes apples') strongly suggests that category mistakes are not syntactically ill-formed.

Gist of Idea

Embedded (in 'he said that…') category mistakes show syntax isn't the problem

Source

Ofra Magidor (Category Mistakes [2013], 2.4)

Book Ref

Magidor,Ofra: 'Category Mistakes' [OUP 2013], p.39

A Reaction

Sounds conclusive. The report of John's category error, unlike the report of his remark about apples, seems perfectly syntactically acceptable.

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]