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Full Idea
The meanings of all empirical words depend ultimately upon ostensive definitions, ostensive definitions depend upon experience, and that experience is egocentric.
Gist of Idea
Empirical words need ostensive definition, which makes them egocentric
Source
Bertrand Russell (Mr Strawson on Referring [1957], p.122)
Book Ref
Russell,Bertrand: 'Essays in Analysis', ed/tr. Lackey,Douglas [George Braziller 1973], p.122
A Reaction
He seems to imply that this makes them partly subjective, but I don't see why an objective consensus can't be reached when making an ostensive definition. We just need to clearly agree what 'that' refers to.
Related Idea
Idea 21550 Science reduces indexicals to a minimum, but they can never be eliminated from empirical matters [Russell]
| 21550 | Science reduces indexicals to a minimum, but they can never be eliminated from empirical matters [Russell] |
| 21551 | Empirical words need ostensive definition, which makes them egocentric [Russell] |
| 21552 | Common speech is vague; its vocabulary and syntax must be modified, for precision [Russell] |