more from Jerry A. Fodor

Single Idea 12616

[catalogued under 19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 2. Semantics]

Full Idea

English has no semantics. Learning English isn't learning a theory about what its sentences mean, it's learning how to associate its sentences with the corresponding thoughts.

Gist of Idea

English has no semantic theory, just associations between sentences and thoughts

Source

Jerry A. Fodor (Concepts:where cogn.science went wrong [1998], Ch.1)

Book Reference

Fodor,Jerry A.: 'Concepts: where cognitive science went wrong' [OUP 1998], p.9


A Reaction

This sounds remarkably close to John Locke's account of language (which I always thought was seriously underrated). Presumably we can then say that the 'thought' (or Locke's 'idea') is the meaning, which is old-fashioned real meanings.