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On epistemic conceptions of meaning: use, meaning and normativity

On epistemic conceptions of meaning: use, meaning and normativity
On epistemic conceptions of meaning: use, meaning and normativity
Many philosophers hold that for an expression to possess meaning is for there to norms governing its use. By combining this with a further idea, namely that the relevant norms are epistemic, one arrives at an epistemic conception of meaning (EM). In this paper, I outline a problem for EM, which motivates a reassessment of the arguments in support of it. Accordingly, I consider a number of such arguments but find them to be unsuccessful. By way of diagnosis, I suggest that EM ultimately rests on a kind of act/object confusion. This in turn suggests a way in which one can accept the view that meaning is determined by norms of use without accepting that those norms are epistemic.
epistemic, meaning, use, normativity, language, philosophy
0966-8373
416-434
Whiting, Daniel
c0847bb4-963e-470d-92a2-5c8aae5d5aef
Whiting, Daniel
c0847bb4-963e-470d-92a2-5c8aae5d5aef

Whiting, Daniel (2009) On epistemic conceptions of meaning: use, meaning and normativity. European Journal of Philosophy, 17 (3), 416-434. (doi:10.1111/j.1468-0378.2008.00320.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Many philosophers hold that for an expression to possess meaning is for there to norms governing its use. By combining this with a further idea, namely that the relevant norms are epistemic, one arrives at an epistemic conception of meaning (EM). In this paper, I outline a problem for EM, which motivates a reassessment of the arguments in support of it. Accordingly, I consider a number of such arguments but find them to be unsuccessful. By way of diagnosis, I suggest that EM ultimately rests on a kind of act/object confusion. This in turn suggests a way in which one can accept the view that meaning is determined by norms of use without accepting that those norms are epistemic.

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Published date: 2009
Keywords: epistemic, meaning, use, normativity, language, philosophy

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Local EPrints ID: 79896
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/79896
ISSN: 0966-8373
PURE UUID: 225f90ae-c93c-49ba-bd89-0220fa8546d3

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Date deposited: 22 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 00:34

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