Appropriateness of a cognitive approach to Donald Davidson's meaning theory

Download

index.pdf

Date

2008

Author

Ağoğlu, Eser

Metadata

Show full item record

Item Usage Stats

444
views

183
downloads

The purpose of this study is to discuss the appropriateness of a cognitive approach to Donald Davidson's meaning theory. Davidson makes the bold proposal that a truth theory, modified for a natural language, may be treated as a meaning theory for that language. According to Davidson, a meaning theory is an empirical theory. Radical Interpretation is at the center of such an empirical inquiry which places restrictions on the truth theory to make it suitable as a meaning theory without appeal to semantic notions. Davidson‘s aim in presenting this bold proposal and radical interpretation is to shed light on the concept of meaning, not to define the actual semantic competence of language users. But what Davidson‘s project does not aim to define is the main thing that a cognitive approach must account for. Whether a truth theory can represent the semantic competence of language users is discussed in this work. It is concluded that, although there is no a priori reason for such a representation claim, the cognitive approach—with the right assumptions to make the claim testable—can lead to an empirical research programme.

Subject Keywords

Philosophy

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12610178/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/18019

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

An inquiry on Wittgenstein's conception of meaning Erşahin, Direnç; Turan, Şeref Halil; Department of Philosophy (2007) This study aims at investigating Wittgenstein’s conception of meaning. In this sense, philosopher’s early and later periods will be examined. Key notions of Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language, picture theory of meaning, language-game, rule following, Private Language Argument and his assertion that ‘meaning is use’ will be analyzed. Out of this analysis, Wittgenstein’s answer to the following basic question will be sought: How is meaning derived in a language? The outcome of this query will be comparativ...
Dualities in bergson revisited: towards a reconciliation? Karahan, Gülizar; Çırakman, Elif; Department of Philosophy (2008) The aim of this study is to make an inquiry on the nature and the development of dualities in Bergson’s philosophy. Since the nature of each duality differs from the others and the dualistic pattern inherent in Bergsonian philosophy is subject to change, we base our study on a chronological structure in order to comprehend better how this pattern changes. We claim that such an inquiry will yield relevant outcomes with regard to ontological and epistemological evolution of Bergson’s thought. To state more pr...
On the possibility of wittgensteinian language of ethics Oktar, Sibel; Turan, Şeref Halil; Department of Philosophy (2008) In this study, the standpoint that discourse on ethics is impossible is examined. As Ludwig Wittgenstein is the first philosopher who explicitly said that ethics is inexpressible, the main concentration is on Wittgenstein’s conception of ethics. Analytic philosophy’s questions regarding ethics are about the meaning of the expressions of value rather than conduct. It is generally recognized that the distinction between these questions and the emphasis on the definition of value judgements starts with G.E. Mo...
A discussion on how to formulate the question of contingency in Leibniz's system: a logical approach Besler, Arman; Grünberg, David; Department of Philosophy (2008) The main objective of this study is to shed light on some difficulties involved in the formulation of the problem of contingency in Leibniz’s philosophical system. Leibniz’s mature philosophy is characterized by the solutions he proposes for this problem, and the ontological ideas underlying or assisting them. ‘The problem of contingency’ refers to the tension between his conceptual containment theory of truth and his claim that true existential propositions that is, propositions which concern actual indiv...
The problem of justice in the philosophies of Rousseau and Kant Ünlü, Özlem; Turan, Şeref Halil; Department of Philosophy (2011) The aim of this study is to make a comparison between Rousseau’s and Kant’s theory of justice. This thesis defends the arguments of Rousseau’s democratic political theory against the claims raised by Kant. Rousseau and Kant formulate how to relieve the tension between individual and society. This tension is the one between individual and political freedom. Rousseau calls it the tension between moral and political freedom and Kant terms it as internal and external freedom. However, Rousseau ensures continuit...

Citation Formats

E. Ağoğlu, “Appropriateness of a cognitive approach to Donald Davidson’s meaning theory,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2008.