Single Idea 16362

[catalogued under 18. Thought / B. Mechanics of Thought / 5. Mental Files]

Full Idea

The purpose of an identity statement is to get the hearer to merge these files or bodies of information into one.

Gist of Idea

An identity statement aims at getting the hearer to merge two mental files

Source

Michael Lockwood (Identity and Reference [1971], p.209), quoted by François Recanati - Mental Files 4.1

Book Reference

Recanati,François: 'Mental Files' [OUP 2012], p.44


A Reaction

Lockwood is a pioneer, in seeing 'Hesperus is Phosphorus' and 'Scott is the author of 'Waverley'' in terms of how the mind works. Mental files seem to me to explain a huge amount. Recanati proposes 'linking' rather than 'merging'.

Related Idea

Idea 16360 Identity statements are informative if they link separate mental files [Recanati]