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| 16362 | An identity statement aims at getting the hearer to merge two mental files |
| Full Idea: The purpose of an identity statement is to get the hearer to merge these files or bodies of information into one. | |||
| From: Michael Lockwood (Identity and Reference [1971], p.209), quoted by François Recanati - Mental Files 4.1 | |||
| A reaction: Lockwood is a pioneer, in seeing 'Hesperus is Phosphorus' and 'Scott is the author of 'Waverley'' in terms of how the mind works. Mental files seem to me to explain a huge amount. Recanati proposes 'linking' rather than 'merging'. |