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Single Idea 6716

[from 'The Principles of Human Knowledge' by George Berkeley, in 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 2. Meaning as Mental ]

Full Idea

It is a received opinion that language has no other end but the communicating our ideas, and that every significant name stands for an idea.

Gist of Idea

Language is presumably for communication, and names stand for ideas

Source

George Berkeley (The Principles of Human Knowledge [1710], Intro §19)

Book Reference

Berkeley,George: 'The Principles of Human Knowledge etc.', ed/tr. Warnock,G.J. [Fontana 1962], p.58


A Reaction

This attitude to language has been widely discredited, partly by the observation that 'idea' is very ambiguous, and partly by the fans of meaning-as-use. Truth conditions seem to be ideas, and so are speaker's intentions.