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Single Idea 14717

[filed under theme 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 1. Meaning ]

Full Idea

Internalists take the notion of meaning to capture an aspect of an individual's current state of understanding, while externalists take the notion of meaning to reflect how an individual is embedded within her social and physical environment.

Gist of Idea

Internalist meaning is about understanding; externalist meaning is about embedding in a situation

Source

Laura Schroeter (Two-Dimensional Semantics [2010], 2.4.3)

Book Ref

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.35


A Reaction

This idea also occurs in discussions of concepts (filed here under 'Thought').


The 19 ideas from Laura Schroeter

Semantic theories show how truth of sentences depends on rules for interpreting and joining their parts [Schroeter]
'Federer' and 'best tennis player' can't mean the same, despite having the same extension [Schroeter]
Simple semantics assigns extensions to names and to predicates [Schroeter]
Possible worlds semantics uses 'intensions' - functions which assign extensions at each world [Schroeter]
Possible worlds make 'I' and that person's name synonymous, but they have different meanings [Schroeter]
Array worlds along the horizontal, and contexts (world,person,time) along the vertical [Schroeter]
If we introduce 'actually' into modal talk, we need possible worlds twice to express this [Schroeter]
Superficial necessity is true in all worlds; deep necessity is thus true, no matter which world is actual [Schroeter]
Do we know apriori how we refer to names and natural kinds, but their modal profiles only a posteriori? [Schroeter]
2D semantics gives us apriori knowledge of our own meanings [Schroeter]
Your view of water depends on whether you start from the actual Earth or its counterfactual Twin [Schroeter]
Rationalists say knowing an expression is identifying its extension using an internal cognitive state [Schroeter]
Possible worlds semantics implies a constitutive connection between meanings and modal claims [Schroeter]
2D fans defend it for conceptual analysis, for meaning, and for internalist reference [Schroeter]
Contradictory claims about a necessary god both seem apriori coherent [Schroeter]
2D semantics can't respond to contingent apriori claims, since there is no single proposition involved [Schroeter]
Internalist meaning is about understanding; externalist meaning is about embedding in a situation [Schroeter]
In the possible worlds account all necessary truths are same (because they all map to the True) [Schroeter]
Semantic theory assigns meanings to expressions, and metasemantics explains how this works [Schroeter]