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Arguments in Language Philosophy
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Language Games
Wittgenstein's concept of language games suggests that the meaning of words is derived from their use in specific forms of life, emphasizing the variability of language across different activities and communities.
Normativity of Meaning
The normativity argument suggests that the meanings of words are governed by norms and that understanding a language involves grasping these norms, which has consequences for theories of linguistic competence and practice.
The Linguistic Turn
The linguistic turn refers to the 20th-century development in philosophy that emphasizes the ways in which language shapes our understanding of the world and became foundational in analytic philosophy.
The Causal Theory of Names
The causal theory proposes that proper names have meaning due to an original act of naming linked by a causal chain to the present use of the name, fundamentally shaping theories of naming and reference.
Private Language Argument
Proposed by Wittgenstein, it challenges the notion that a language understandable by only a single individual is conceivable. This impacts the understanding of self-knowledge and mental states.
Grice's Cooperative Principle
Grice's principle describes how people tend to communicate in ways that are cooperative and adhere to four maxims—quality, quantity, relevance, and manner—shaping conversational implicature.
The Linguistic Intuition Argument
This argument centers on the idea that linguistic intuitions (e.g., judgments about grammaticality, meaning, etc.) play a role in philosophical analysis, questioning the reliability and universality of these intuitions.
Semantic Externalism
The view that the meanings of words and the contents of thoughts are not determined solely by the mental states of speakers but also by external factors, often associated with Putnam's 'Twin Earth' thought experiment.
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
This hypothesis suggests that the structure of a language influences its speakers' worldview and cognition, affecting their perception of reality and potentially limiting the expressibility of certain concepts.
Frege's Sense and Reference
Frege distinguishes between the sense (Sinn) and reference (Bedeutung) of words, explaining how identity statements can be informative and underscoring the difference between meaning and referents.
The Empty Reference Argument
This argument deals with terms that do not refer to any actual object (e.g., 'unicorns') and their implications for theories of meaning and reference, exploring how meaningful discourse can still take place.
Derrida's Deconstruction
Derrida's deconstruction is a critique of the possibility of fixed meaning in texts, emphasizing the role of context, play, and difference ('différance') in interpreting language.
Theory of Reference
The theory of reference explores how words relate to things they reference, considering direct reference and descriptive theories. It's central to understanding meaning and communication.
The Liar Paradox
This paradox arises from statements like 'This sentence is false', which lead to a contradiction when attempting to determine their truth value. It poses challenges to logical theories and theories of truth and meaning.
Quine's Indeterminacy of Translation
Quine argues that it's impossible to determine a unique translation between different languages, suggesting that meaning is inscrutable and dependent on a network of beliefs and experiences.
The Expressive Function of Language
This perspective focuses on the ability of language to express thoughts, feelings, and attitudes, influencing the study of emotive meaning, the use of non-literal language, and the role of expressivity in communication.
Wittgenstein's Picture Theory of Language
In his early work, Wittgenstein proposed that propositions are pictures of reality, structured in a way that models the world. This has implications for understanding the logical form and limits of language.
Slurs and Language
Investigating the use of slurs in language philosophy delves into how derogatory terms gain their power and affect meaning, social dynamics, and ethics. It raises questions about harm, speech acts, and the limits of free speech.
Performative Utterance Argument
Austin's theory distinguishes between constative utterances that describe the world and performative utterances that perform an action (e.g., 'I apologize'). It questions traditional truth-conditional theories of meaning.
The Principle of Charity
The principle of charity involves interpreting a speaker's statements in the most rational way possible, assuming the best understanding of their arguments and assertions, which fosters better communication and debate.
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