Single Idea 23799

[catalogued under 18. Thought / C. Content / 11. Teleological Semantics]

Full Idea

The core idea of teleosemantics is that we need to explain how content can be accurate or inaccurate, true or false, realised or unrealised …which must appeal to the distinction between proper functioning and malfunctioning.

Gist of Idea

Teleosemantics explains content in terms of successful and unsuccessful functioning

Source

Peter Schulte (Mental Content [2023], 4.4)

Book Reference

Schulte,Peter: 'Mental Content' [CUP 2023], p.34


A Reaction

My immediate reaction to this is that you don't learn about content by assessing its success. Surely (as with eyesight) you first need to understand what it does, and only then judge its success. …Though success and failure are implicit in function.