“What is a Theory of Meaning?”
E921632
“What is a Theory of Meaning?” is a seminal philosophical essay by Michael Dummett that explores how theories of meaning underpin our understanding of language, truth, and linguistic competence.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| “What is a Theory of Meaning?” canonical | 1 |
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
academic article
ⓘ
philosophical essay ⓘ |
| argues |
that a theory of meaning must explain speakers’ linguistic competence
ⓘ
that knowledge of meaning is manifested in use ⓘ that meaning is explained via conditions for correct use of sentences ⓘ |
| arguesAgainst |
purely behaviorist accounts of meaning
ⓘ
purely verificationist accounts of meaning ⓘ |
| author | Michael Dummett NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | United Kingdom ⓘ |
| discusses |
how a theory of meaning constrains metaphysics
ⓘ
the explanatory role of semantic theory ⓘ the link between meaning and justification ⓘ the role of truth in a theory of meaning ⓘ |
| field |
linguistics
ⓘ
philosophy ⓘ |
| focusesOn |
conditions for understanding a language
ⓘ
connection between meaning and assertion ⓘ criteria for grasping meaning ⓘ relationship between meaning and use ⓘ role of truth-conditions in meaning ⓘ |
| hasInfluenced |
contemporary philosophy of language
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debates on realism and anti-realism ⓘ inferentialist approaches to meaning ⓘ theories of truth-conditional semantics ⓘ theory of understanding ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Gottlob Frege
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Ludwig Wittgenstein ⓘ analytic philosophy ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| mainTopic |
linguistic competence
ⓘ
philosophy of language ⓘ semantics ⓘ theory of meaning ⓘ truth ⓘ |
| notableFor |
influencing discussions of realism and anti-realism
ⓘ
linking theories of meaning to theories of understanding ⓘ shaping late 20th-century debates on meaning ⓘ |
| partOf | Michael Dummett’s work in philosophy of language ⓘ |
| proposes | that a theory of meaning is primarily a theory of understanding ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
anti-realism in metaphysics
ⓘ
realism in metaphysics ⓘ theories of reference ⓘ theories of understanding ⓘ truth-conditional semantics ⓘ use-theoretic accounts of meaning ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.