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Single Idea 13948

[from 'Propositions' by Richard Cartwright, in 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 1. Meaning ]

Full Idea

It does have to be acknowledged, I think, that every statement whatever is such that there is no one meaning which any sentence used to assert it must have.

Gist of Idea

For any statement, there is no one meaning which any sentence asserting it must have

Source

Richard Cartwright (Propositions [1962], 11)

Book Reference

Cartwright,Richard: 'Philosophical Essays' [MIT 1987], p.46


A Reaction

This feels to me like a Gricean move - that what we are really interested in is communicating one mental state to another mental state, and there are all sorts of tools that can do that one job.