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Single Idea 16381

[from 'Mental Files' by François Recanati, in 18. Thought / C. Content / 1. Content ]

Full Idea

As Evans emphasises, what matters when we want to individuate semantic content is what would count as a proper understanding of an utterance; but 'understanding' defines the task of the hearer.

Gist of Idea

The content of thought is what is required to understand it (which involves hearers)

Source

François Recanati (Mental Files [2012], 16.2)

Book Reference

Recanati,François: 'Mental Files' [OUP 2012], p.215


A Reaction

[cites Evans 1982: 92, 143n, 171] I like to place (following Aristotle) understanding at the centre of all of philosophy, so this seems to me an appealing idea. It makes misunderstandings interesting.