30 October 2007

 

Philosophy of Biological and Cognitive Sciences

Matteo Mameli and David Papineau

Tuesdays 12-1.30 Lecture Room KCL Dept of Philosophy

KCL/LSE MSc in PHS

 

Naturalist (esp Teleosemantic) Theories of Representation

 

1.  Intuitive idea of representation.  Possibility of a reductive theory of representation.

 

2.  Conceptual role semantics and other definitional approaches.  Fail to deal with basic representation.

 

3.  Causal theories.  The problem of misrepresentation (‘disjunctivism’).  Dretske’s and Fodor’s suggestions.

 

4.  Success semantics.  An output-based theory.  No problem with misrepresentation.  But no account of desire satisfaction.

 

5.  Teleosemantics.  The satisfaction condition for a desire is that result it is selected to produce, the truth condition for a belief that condition that ensures that this result will ensue.  More generally (Millikan), an indicative representation stands for that condition what will enable the behaviour it prompts in its ‘consumer’ to achieve its end.

 

6.  Objection 1.  Swampman.  (Cf. forward and backward-looking functions.)

 

7.  Objection 2.  Output-overemphasis.  The kimu.

 

8.  Objection 3.  Determinacy of content.  Black dot, fly, frog food?

 

9.  Objection 4.  Is every representation selected?  Selection other than genetic selection.  Multi-layered functions.  Ontogenetic selection.  Non-genetic intergenerational selection.  More theory needed. 

 

Readings

 

Papineau, D. “Naturalist Theories of Meaning” Lepore and Smith eds Oxford Handbook in the Philosophy of Language

Dokic, J. and Engel, P. 2002. Frank Ramsey: Truth and Success. London: Routledge.

Fodor, J. 1990. A Theory of Content and Other Essays. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Millikan, R. 1984. Language Thought and Other Biological Categories. Cambridge, Mass: MIT

Papineau, D. 1993. Philosophical Naturalism. Oxford, Blackwell.

Papineau, D. 1998. "Teleosemantics and Indeterminacy.’ Australasian Journal
of Philosophy 76.

Papineau, D. 2001. ‘The Status of Teleosemantics, or How to Stop Worrying about Swampman.’ Australasian Journal of Philosophy 79.

Papineau, D. 2003. ‘Is Representation Rife?’ Ratio 16.

Pietrowski, P. 1992. ‘Intentional and Teleological Error.’ Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 73

Whyte, J. 1990. ‘Success Semantics.’ Analysis 50.