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Full Idea
The thesis I want to refine and then argue for is that thought depends on speech.
Gist of Idea
Thought depends on speech
Source
Donald Davidson (Thought and Talk [1975], p.8)
Book Ref
'Mind and Language', ed/tr. Guttenplan,Samuel [OUP 1977], p.8
A Reaction
This has the instant and rather implausible implication that animals don't think. He is not, of course, saying that all thought is speech, which would leave out thinking in images. You can't do much proper thought without concepts and propositions.
| 6394 | The pattern of sentences held true gives sentences their meaning [Davidson] |
| 6395 | An understood sentence can be used for almost anything; it isn't language if it has only one use [Davidson] |
| 11144 | Concepts are only possible in a language community [Davidson] |
| 11145 | Having a belief involves the possibility of being mistaken [Davidson] |
| 6396 | A sentence is held true because of a combination of meaning and belief [Davidson] |
| 6397 | The concept of belief can only derive from relationship to a speech community [Davidson] |
| 6392 | Thought depends on speech [Davidson] |
| 6393 | A creature doesn't think unless it interprets another's speech [Davidson] |