Single Idea 18011

[catalogued under 2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 8. Category Mistake / b. Category mistake as syntactic]

Full Idea

The infelicity of category mistakes seems to be universal across languages.

Gist of Idea

Category mistakes seem to be universal across languages

Source

Ofra Magidor (Category Mistakes [2013], 2.3)

Book Reference

Magidor,Ofra: 'Category Mistakes' [OUP 2013], p.33


A Reaction

Magidor rightly offers this fact to refute the claim that category mistakes are purely syntax (since syntax obviously varies hugely across languages). I also take the fact to show that category mistakes concern the world, and not merely language.