Single Idea 17984

[catalogued under 18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / e. Concepts from exemplars]

Full Idea

The exemplar accounts of conceptual combination are demonstrably wrong, because the meaning of a phrase has to be composed from the meaning of its parts (plus broader knowledge), and it cannot be composed as a function of exemplars.

Gist of Idea

Conceptual combination must be compositional, and can't be built up from exemplars

Source

Gregory L. Murphy (The Big Book of Concepts [2004], Ch.13)

Book Reference

Murphy,Gregory L.: 'The Big Book of Concepts' [MIT 2004], p.487


A Reaction

This sounds quite persuasive, and I begin to see that my favoured essentialism fits the prototype view of concepts best, though this mustn't be interpreted too crudely. We change our prototypes with experience. 'Bird' is a tricky case.