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Empty natural kind terms and dry-earth

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 16:03 authored by Corine BessonCorine Besson
This paper considers the problem of assigning meanings to empty natural kind terms. It does so in the context of the Twin-Earth externalist-internalist debate about whether the meanings of natural kind terms are individuated by the external physical environment of the speakers using these terms. The paper clarifies and outlines the different ways in which meanings could be assigned to empty natural kind terms. And it argues that externalists do not have the semantic resources to assign them meanings. The paper ends on a sceptical note concerning the fruitfulness of using the Twin-Earth setting in debates about the semantics of empty natural kind terms.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Erkenntnis

ISSN

0165-0106

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Issue

3

Volume

76

Page range

403-425

Department affiliated with

  • Philosophy Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2013-10-11

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2013-10-11

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