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Single Idea 19048

[from 'Five Milestones of Empiricism' by Willard Quine, in 2. Reason / D. Definition / 7. Contextual Definition ]

Full Idea

Contextual definition precipitated a revolution in semantics. The primary vehicle of meaning is seen no longer as the word, but as the sentence.

Gist of Idea

Contextual definition shifted the emphasis from words to whole sentences

Source

Willard Quine (Five Milestones of Empiricism [1975], p.69)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Theories and Things' [Harvard 1981], p.69


A Reaction

I think the idea is that the term is now supported entirely by its surrounding language, and not by its denotation of something in the world.

Related Idea

Idea 19047 Bentham's contextual definitions preserved terms after their denotation became doubtful [Quine]