Abstract
While according to the inferentialists, meaning is always a kind of inferential role, proponents of other approaches to semantics often doubt that actual meanings, as they see them, can be generally reduced to inferential roles. In this paper we propose a formal framework for considering the hypothesis of the “general inferentializability of meaning”. We provide very general definitions of both “semantics” and “inference” and study the question which kinds of semantics can be reasonably seen as engendered by inferences. We restrict ourselves to logical constants; and especially to the question of the fesaibility of seeing the meanings of those of classical logic in an inferential way. The answer we reach is positive (although with some provisos).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
R. Brandom (1985) ‘Varieties of Understanding’ N. Rescher (Eds) Reason and Rationality in Natural Science University Presses of America Lanham 27–51
R. Brandom (1994) Making It Explicit Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA
R. Brandom (2000) Articulating Reasons Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA
R. Carnap (1943) Formalization of Logic Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA
D. Davidson (1984) Inquiries Into Truth and Interpretation Clarendon Press Oxford
J. M. Dunn G. M. Hardegree ( 2000) Algebraic Methods in Philosophical Logic Clarendon Oxford
J.A. Fodor E. LePore (1993) ‘Why Meaning (Probably) Isn’t Conceptual Role’ E. Villaneuva (Eds) Science and Knowledge Ridgeview Atascadero 15–35
B. C. Fraassen Particlevan (1971) Formal Semantics and Logic Macmillan New York
G. Frege (1879) Begriffsschrift Nebert Halle
G. Gentzen (1934) ArticleTitle‘Untersuchungen über das logische Schliessen I–II’ Mathematische Zeitschrift 39 176–210
M. E. Kalderon (2001) ArticleTitle‘Reasoning and Representing’ Philosophical Studies 105 129–160 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1010341316352
A. Koslow (1992) A Structuralist Theory of Logic Cambridge University Press Cambridge
M. Lance (1995) ArticleTitle‘Two Concepts of Entailment’ The Journal of Philosophical Research 20 113–137
M. Lance (1996) ArticleTitle‘Quantification, Substitution and Conceptual Content’ Noûs 30 481–507
M. Lance (2001) ArticleTitle‘The Logical Structure of Linguistic Commitment III: Brandomian Scorekeeping and Incompatibility’ Journal of Philosophical Logic 30 439–464 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1012280814127
M. Lance P. Kremer (1994) ArticleTitle‘The Logical Structure of Linguistic Commitment I: Four Systems of Non-Relevant Commitment Entailment’ Journal of Philosophical Logic 23 369–400 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01048687
M. Lance P. Kremer (1996) ArticleTitle‘The Logical Structure of Linguistic Commitment II: Systems of Relevant Commitment Entailment’ Journal of Philosophical Logic 25 425–449 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00249667
S. Lavine (2000) ArticleTitle‘Quantification and Ontology’ Synthese 124 1–43 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1005257423415
J. Peregrin (1997) ArticleTitle‘Language and its Models’ Nordic Journal of Philosophical Logic 2 1–23
J. Peregrin (2001) Meaning and Structure Ashgate Aldershot
J. Peregrin (2003) ‘Meaning and Inference’ T. Childers O. Majer (Eds) The Logica Yearbook 2002 Filosofia Prague 193–205
J. Peregrin (2004a) Logic as ‘Making it Explicit’ L. Běhounek (Eds) The Logica Yearbook 2003 Filosofia Prague 209–226
Peregrin, J.: 2004b, ‘Pragmatismus und Semantik’, in A. Fuhrmann and E.J. Olsson (eds.), Pragmatisch Denken, Ontos, Frankfurt am M., pp. 89–108 (in German; English version available from http://jarda.peregrin.cz)
Peregrin, J.: in press-a, ‘Semantics as Based on Inference’, in J. van Benthem et al. (eds.), The Age of Alternative Logics, Kluwer Dordrecht, in press
Peregrin, J.: in press-b, ‘Developing Sellars’ Semantic Legacy: Meaning as a Rule’, in M. Lance and P. Wolf (eds.), The Self-Correcting Enterprise: Essays on Wilfrid Sellars, Rodopi, Amsterdam
D. Prawitz (1965) Natural Deduction Almqvist & Wiksell Stockholm
A. N. Prior (1960) ArticleTitle‘Roundabout Inference Ticket’ Analysis 21 38–39
Restall, G.: in press, ‘Multiple Conclusions’, in Proceedings of the 12th. International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science
N. Tennant (1997) The Taming of the True Clarendon Press Oxford
L. Wittgenstein (1956) Bemerkungen über die Grundlagen der Mathematik Blackwell Oxford
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Manuscript submitted 28 January 2004 Final version received 29 March 2005
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peregrin, J. Meaning as an Inferential Role. Erkenntnis 64, 1–35 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10670-005-4698-1
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10670-005-4698-1