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Single Idea 18009

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

Full Idea

The view of Chomsky in 1957 that category mistakes are syntactically well-formed but meaningless is a very standard one.

Gist of Idea

Chomsky established the view that category mistakes are well-formed but meaningless

Source

report of Noam Chomsky (Syntactic Structure [1957]) by Ofra Magidor - Category Mistakes 1.3

Book Ref

Magidor,Ofra: 'Category Mistakes' [OUP 2013], p.19


A Reaction

I'm going off the idea that they are meaningless, largely because I am beginning to sympathise with the view that any composition of meaningful components is meaningful (even if blatantly false).

Related Idea

Idea 17999 Strong compositionality says meaningful expressions syntactically well-formed are meaningful [Magidor]


The 4 ideas from Noam Chomsky

Chomsky's 'interpretative semantics' says syntax comes first, and is then interpreted [Chomsky, by Magidor]
Chomsky now says concepts are basically innate, as well as syntax [Chomsky, by Lowe]
Syntax is independent of semantics; sentences can be well formed but meaningless [Chomsky, by Magidor]
Chomsky established the view that category mistakes are well-formed but meaningless [Chomsky, by Magidor]