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Single Idea 7765

[from 'Articulating Reasons: Intro to Inferentialism' by Robert B. Brandom, in 19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 6. Meaning as Use ]

Full Idea

Brandom develops a particular conception of 'use', according to which a sentence's use is the set of commitments and entitlements associated with public utterance of that sentence.

Gist of Idea

The use of a sentence is its commitments and entitlements

Source

report of Robert B. Brandom (Articulating Reasons: Intro to Inferentialism [2000]) by William Lycan - Philosophy of Language Ch.6

Book Reference

Lycan,William G.: 'Philosophy of Language' [Routledge 2000], p.97


A Reaction

It immediately strikes me that a sentence could only have commitments and entitlements if it already had a meaning. However, the case of money shows how there might be nothing more to a thing's significance than its entitlements.