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Semantic Non-Factualism in Kripke's Wittgenstein

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Semantic Non-Factualism in Kripke's Wittgenstein Journal FOR THE History OF Analytical Philosophy Semantic Non-factualism IN KripkE’S Wittgenstein VOLUME 5, Number 9 Daniel BoYD Editor IN Chief KeVIN C. Klement, University OF Massachusetts Kripke’s Wittgenstein is standardly understood as a non-fact- ualist about meaning ascription. Non-factualism about mean- Editorial BoarD ing ascription is the idea that sentences like “Joe means addition Annalisa Coliva, University OF Modena AND UC IRVINE by ‘plus’” are not used to state facts about the world. Byrne GrEG Frost-Arnold, Hobart AND William Smith Colleges and Kusch have argued that Kripke’s Wittgenstein is not a non- Henry Jackman, YORK University factualist about meaning ascription. They are aware that their SandrA Lapointe, McMaster University interpretation is non-standard, but cite arguments from Boghos- Consuelo Preti, The College OF NeW JerseY sian and Wright to support their view. Boghossian argues that MarCUS Rossberg, University OF Connecticut non-factualism about meaning ascription is incompatible with a Anthony Skelton, WESTERN University deflationary theory of truth. Wright argues that non-factualism Mark TExtor, King’S College London about meaning ascription is incoherent. To support the standard AudrEY Yap, University OF Victoria interpretation, I’ll respond to each argument in turn. To the de- RicharD Zach, University OF Calgary gree that my responses are successful, Byrne and Kusch have ReVIEW Editors an unmotivated interpretation of Kripke’s Wittgenstein. Wilson Sean Morris, MetrOPOLITAN State University OF Denver provides a factualist interpretation that is not based on Boghos- SanforD Shieh, WESLEYAN University sian and Wright’s arguments. Miller argues for a non-factualist interpretation against Wilson, but I’ll show that Miller’s inter- Design pretation faces a dilemma. Miller’s argument cannot be main- Daniel Harris, Hunter College tained if a coherent interpretation of the skeptical solution is to be provided. I’ll show how this dilemma can be avoided jhaponline.orG and provide an independent argument against Wilson so that a non-factualist interpretation of the skeptical solution can be maintained. © 2017 Daniel BoYD Semantic Non-factualism IN KripkE’S an equivocation in the notion of truth conditions. Kusch cites Boghossian’s argument as well as an argument from Wright that Wittgenstein non-factualism about meaning ascription is by itself an incoher- ent position. According to Wright’s argument, non-factualism Daniel BoYD about meaning ascription entails a global non-factualism for all statements. I will show that Wright’s argument presupposes the falsity of a deflationary theory of truth that KW explicitly endorses. So these arguments from Boghossian and Wright do 1. INTRODUCTION not compromise the coherence of KW’s non-factualism about meaning, and that undermines the motivation for Byrne and In Wittgenstein: On Rules and Private Language, Saul Kripke de- Kusch’s interpretation. velops a “skeptical paradox” about meaning (Kripke 1982, 7– Wilson (2002) provides a factualist interpretation that is not 13). Since Kripke distances himself from the ideas in the book, based on arguments from Wright and Boghossian. Miller (2010) I will attribute the ideas in his book to Kripke’s Wittgenstein criticizes this position, and offers a non-factualist interpreta- (KW). In response to the paradox, KW provides a “skeptical so- tion instead. To motivate the criticism against Wilson, Miller lution”. This skeptical solution involves a non-factualist analysis employs an argument from Wright. But this argument from of meaning ascription (where meaning ascriptions are sentences Wright cannot be accepted unless the skeptical solution is re- like “Monique means cat by ‘cat’”). As I understand it, the rele- jected. I’ll provide an independent reason for resisting Wilson’s vant non-factualism is just the idea that meaning ascriptions are interpretation so that a coherent non-factualist interpretation of not used to state facts about the world. the skeptical solution can be provided. Paul Boghossian (1989) and Crispin Wright (1984) have ar- I will first explain the skeptical paradox. I will then outline my gued that the skeptical solution’s non-factual analysis of mean- own interpretation of KW’s skeptical solution. After that, I will ing ascription is untenable. Alex Byrne (1996) and Martin Kusch respond to the arguments from Boghossian and Wright that (2006) have endorsed some of the arguments from Wright and Byrne and Kusch cite to motivate their interpretations. Then, Boghossian, but do not see them as a reason to give up the skep- I’ll look at Wilson’s interpretation and Miller’s non-factualist tical solution. Rather, they see the arguments as evidence that criticism. I’ll reconstruct the argument from Wright that Miller KW should not be interpreted as a non-factualist about meaning cites and reply to it by showing how a response can be provided ascription. on analogy with KW’s resolution of the original paradox about As it is my view that KW is a non-factualist about mean- meaning. ing ascription, I am going to argue against Byrne and Kusch’s interpretation. I will do this by responding to the arguments they cite from Boghossian and Wright when motivating their 2. The SkEPTICAL ParADOX views. Byrne cites Boghossian’s argument that non-factualism about meaning ascription is inconsistent with deflationary the- Suppose you had never added any numbers that were higher ories of truth. I will show that this argument fails because of than 68 or 57. If someone asked you “what is 68 plus 57?”, Journal FOR THE History OF Analytical Philosophy vol. 5 no. 9 [1] then you would probably respond by saying “125”. On past 3. INTERPRETING THE SkEPTICAL Solution occasions when you used the word “plus”, what you meant by that word was the plus function (which of course returns 125 The skeptical solution is best understood as involving three com- when 68 and 57 are provided as inputs). Given that you ought ponents (Kripke 1982, 55–86). The first is a deflationary theory to answer in a way that corresponds with what you meant in the of truth. The exact nature of KW’s version of deflationism is not past, 125 is not just the answer you would probably give, it is the so important here, so I will just make some general comments answer that you should give.1 This all seems commonplace, but that I think are relevant. There is a metaphor that is helpful for a skeptic could suppose that on past occasions when you used understanding deflationary theories of truth. The idea is that the word “plus”, what you actually meant by “plus” was the truth has no nature. Unlike certain things, such as gravity or quus function. The quus function is just like the plus function heat, truth is not something for which we can gain any substan- except for one thing. If either of the two input numbers for the tive knowledge. Rather, we can at best say something about quus function is 57 or greater, the quus function returns 5. Now the meaning of the word “true” or its function in our language. the skeptic’s proposal that you previously meant quus by “plus” A common idea is that the word “true” is used as a device for is preposterous. But supposing it was true, and given that you committing ourselves to the content of other people’s beliefs, ought to have answered the initial question “what is 68 plus 57?” but whatever functions it may serve, for our purposes, we can in a way that corresponded with what you previously meant by think of its meaning as being encapsulated in the following dis- “plus”, you should have answered “5” to the initial question. quotational schema: This cannot be right, but is there any fact about your past mental states or behavior that could establish that you meant plus and (DS)“ S” is true iff S. not quus by your use of “plus” in the past? For various reasons that I will not go into, the skeptic in Kripke’s dialogue concludes The second component of the skeptical solution is a warran- that there is no such fact. Now the skeptical paradox is this. If ted-use theory of meaning. On such a theory, the meaning of there could not be a fact that established whether you meant indicative sentences is characterized in terms of their conditions plus rather than quus by your use of “plus” in the past, then of warranted use. It is not exactly clear how to understand this how could you have meant anything by your use of “plus” at since there are multiple senses of warrant (Price 2003). Some- all? Moreover, if there are no facts to establish what you meant times we call an assertion unwarranted when a speaker does not in the past, then how could you ever mean anything by any believe what they assert. Other times we say a speaker’s asser- word? tion is unwarranted when they lack some kind of grounds for their assertion even when they believe it. Are either of these the relevant notions of warrant that KW has in mind? Clarifying the relevant notion of warrant looks like a serious puzzle, and we could make even more nuanced distinctions. Fortunately, I do 1See Glüer and Wikforss(2009). There is an issue about whether there are not think it is important to focus on this here. Keeping in mind obligations with respect to linguistic use and if so what their source is. I will talk in terms of obligation, but the issue can be raised instead with the notion that there is an issue concerning how to understand the relevant of correctness. notion of warrant, it is helpful to think about warranted-use Journal FOR THE History OF Analytical Philosophy vol.
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