Holism, language acquisition, and algebraic logic

Linguistics and Philosophy 25 (4):419-452 (2002)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In the first section of this paper I present a well known objection to meaning holism, according to which holism is inconsistent with natural language being learnable. Then I show that the objection fails if language acquisition includes stages of partial grasp of the meaning of at least some expressions, and I argue that standard model theoretic semantics cannot fully capture such stages. In the second section the above claims are supported through a review of current research into language acquisition. Finally, in the third section it is argued that contemporary algebraic logical systems consist in a superior formal vehicle through which to capture stages of partial grasp of meaning; this claim is supported by concrete examples.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 99,445

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Context and logical form.Jason Stanley - 2000 - Linguistics and Philosophy 23 (4):391--434.
Meaning and triangulation.Catherine J. L. Talmage - 1997 - Linguistics and Philosophy 20 (2):139-145.
Formal Semantics and the Algebraic View of Meaning.Eli Dresner - 1998 - Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley
Communication, meaning, and interpretation.Prashant Parikh - 2000 - Linguistics and Philosophy 23 (2):185-212.
Mathematical Methods in Linguistics.Barbara Partee, Alice ter Meulen & Robert Wall - 1987 - Boston, MA, USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Meaning Holism.Eli Dresner - 2012 - Philosophy Compass 7 (9):611-619.

Analytics

Added to PP
2009-01-28

Downloads
82 (#218,108)

6 months
10 (#288,781)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Eli Dresner
Tel Aviv University

Citations of this work

Semantic Holism and Language Learning.Martin L. Jönsson - 2014 - Journal of Philosophical Logic 43 (4):725-759.
Easy Ontology, Regress, and Holism.James Miller - 2023 - Erkenntnis 88 (5):1855-1868.
Meaning Holism.Eli Dresner - 2012 - Philosophy Compass 7 (9):611-619.
Language and the Measure of Mind.Eli Dresner - 2010 - Mind and Language 25 (4):418-439.

View all 11 citations / Add more citations

References found in this work

Inquiries Into Truth And Interpretation.Donald Davidson - 1984 - Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press.
The logical basis of metaphysics.Michael Dummett - 1991 - Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Holism: A Shopper's Guide.Jerry A. Fodor & Ernest Lepore - 1992 - Cambridge, Mass., USA: Blackwell. Edited by Ernest LePore.
Making it Explicit.Isaac Levi & Robert B. Brandom - 1996 - Journal of Philosophy 93 (3):145.

View all 26 references / Add more references