Single Idea 6397

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / e. Belief holism]

Full Idea

We have the idea of belief from its role in the interpretation of language; as a private attitude it is not intelligible except in relation to public language. So a creature must be a member of a speech community to have the concept of belief.

Gist of Idea

The concept of belief can only derive from relationship to a speech community

Source

Donald Davidson (Thought and Talk [1975], p.22)

Book Reference

'Mind and Language', ed/tr. Guttenplan,Samuel [OUP 1977], p.22


A Reaction

This shows how Wittgenstein's Private Language Argument (e.g. Idea 4152) hovers behind Davidson's philosophy. The idea is quite persuasive. A solitary creature just follows its mental states. The question of whether it believes them is a meta-thought.

Related Idea

Idea 4152 Getting from perceptions to words cannot be a private matter; the rules need an institution of use [Wittgenstein]