Meaning, dispositions, and normativity
Minds and Machines 9 (3):399-413 (1999)
| Abstract | In a recent paper, Paul Coates defends a sophisticated dispositional account which allegedly resolves the sceptical paradox developed by Kripke in his monograph on Wittgenstein's treatment of following a rule (Kripke, 1982). Coates' account appeals to a notion of 'homeostasis', unpacked as a subject's second-order disposition to maintain a consistent pattern of extended first-order dispositions regarding her linguistic behavior. This kind of account, Coates contends, provides a naturalistic model for the normativity of intentional properties and thus resolves Kripke's sceptical paradox. In this paper I argue that Coates' second-order dispositional account cannot solve the sceptic's problems regarding meaning and normativity. My main contention is that in order for second-order dispositions to be able to effectively regulate the coordinated responses constitutive of first-order dispositions, those first order dispositions must be independently identifiable. Yet that's precisely what Kripke's sceptical argument calls into question. I shall also argue, in a more positive fashion, that Coates' own appeal to practical breakdowns may suggest a different —and more effective— response to the sceptic's concern | |||||||||
| Keywords | Disposition Language Mistake Normativity Paradox Scepticism Coates, P | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,701 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. Try with proxy. Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesAndrea Guardo (2012). Rule-Following, Ideal Conditions and Finkish Dispositions. Philosophical Studies 157 (2):195-209.
Toby Handfield & Alexander Bird (2008). Dispositions, Rules, and Finks. Philosophical Studies 140 (2):285 - 298.
Paul Coates (1995). Kripke's Skeptical Paradox: Normativeness and Meaning. Mind 1986 (January):77-80.
A. Bird & T. Handfield (2008). Dispositions, Rules and Finks. Philosophical Studies 140:285-98.
Steven Yalowitz (2000). A Dispositional Account of Self-Knowledge. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 61 (2):249-278.
Paul Coates (1986). Kripke's Sceptical Paradox: Normativeness and Meaning. Mind 95 (377):77-80.
Consuelo Preti (2002). Normativity and Meaning: Kripke's Skeptical Paradox Reconsidered. Philosophical Forum 33 (1):39-62.
Jakob Hohwy (2003). A Reduction of Kripke-Wittgenstein's Objections to Dispositionalism About Meaning. Minds and Machines 13 (2):257-68.
Paul Coates (1997). Meaning, Mistake, and Miscalculation. Minds and Machines 7 (2):171-97.
Martin Montminy (2005). Meaning Skepticism and Normativity. Journal of Philosophical Research 30:215-235.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads57 ( #17,351 of 549,124 )Recent downloads (6 months)8 ( #8,906 of 549,124 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
