John Searle's Theory of Sign
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Mind and Social Reality
Masaryk University Faculty of Economics and Administration Study program: Economics METHODOLOGICAL INDIVIDUALISM: MIND AND SOCIAL REALITY Metodologický Individualizmus: Myseľ a Spoločenská Realita Bachelor´s Thesis Advisor: Author: Mgr. Josef Menšík Ph.D. Ján KRCHŇAVÝ Brno 2020 Name and last name of the author: Ján Krchňavý Title of master thesis: Methodological Individualism: Mind and Social Reality Department: Department of Economics Supervisor of bachelor thesis: Mgr. Josef Menšík, Ph.D. Year of defence: 2020 Abstract The submitted bachelor thesis is concerned with the relation between mind and social reality and the role of the mind in the creation of social reality. This relation is examined from the perspective of the social ontology of John Searle, an American philosopher who is considered to be the proponent of methodological individualism. This thesis aims to reconsider the standard, mentalistic interpretation of Searle’s social ontology, one that is centred around the primary role of the mind in the construction of social reality, to examine criticisms of such approach which highlight the professed neglect of the role that social practices have for social reality, and to provide an alternative, practice-based reading of Searle’s social ontology. The thesis thus proceeds first by outlining the standard interpretation of Searle’s theory as put forward mainly in his two monographs on social reality. Subsequently, the objections against such an approach from an alternative, practice-based approach, which highlights the role of social practices for the constitution of society, are raised. Following these objections, the Searle’s social ontology is looked at again in an effort to find an alternative interpretation that would bring it closer to the ideas and principles of the practice-based approach, and thereby provide a response to some objections against the missing role of the social practices in his theory as well as open the way for the novel interpretation of his social ontology. -
Hypertext Semiotics in the Commercialized Internet
Hypertext Semiotics in the Commercialized Internet Moritz Neumüller Wien, Oktober 2001 DOKTORAT DER SOZIAL- UND WIRTSCHAFTSWISSENSCHAFTEN 1. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Wolfgang Panny, Institut für Informationsver- arbeitung und Informationswirtschaft der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Abteilung für Angewandte Informatik. 2. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert Hrachovec, Institut für Philosophie der Universität Wien. Betreuer: Gastprofessor Univ. Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Veith Risak Eingereicht am: Hypertext Semiotics in the Commercialized Internet Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften an der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien eingereicht bei 1. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Panny, Institut für Informationsverarbeitung und Informationswirtschaft der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Abteilung für Angewandte Informatik 2. Beurteiler: Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert Hrachovec, Institut für Philosophie der Universität Wien Betreuer: Gastprofessor Univ. Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Veith Risak Fachgebiet: Informationswirtschaft von MMag. Moritz Neumüller Wien, im Oktober 2001 Ich versichere: 1. daß ich die Dissertation selbständig verfaßt, andere als die angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel nicht benutzt und mich auch sonst keiner unerlaubten Hilfe bedient habe. 2. daß ich diese Dissertation bisher weder im In- noch im Ausland (einer Beurteilerin / einem Beurteiler zur Begutachtung) in irgendeiner Form als Prüfungsarbeit vorgelegt habe. 3. daß dieses Exemplar mit der beurteilten Arbeit überein -
How Three Triads Illumine the Authority of the Preached Word
THE WORDS OF THE SPEAKER: HOW THREE TRIADS ILLUMINE THE AUTHORITY OF THE PREACHED WORD By J. D. HERR B.S., Philadelphia Biblical University, 2008 A THESIS Submitted to the faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Theological Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary Charlotte, North Carolina February 2019 Accepted: _______________________________________________________ First Reader, Dr. James Anderson _______________________________________________________ Second Reader !ii ABSTRACT According to J. L. Austin’s important work, How to Do Things With Words, the philosophic and linguistic assumption for centuries has been that saying something “is always and simply to state something.”1 For many people today, speech is simply the description of a place or event. It is either true or false, because it either describes an item or event well, or it does not. It either re-states propositional truth or it does not. Austin’s program was to regain an understanding and awareness of the force of speech—what is done in saying something—and came to be known as speech act theory. Similarly, in the discipline of theology, and in the life of the Church, many people tend to think of preaching as the passing of some “truth” from the divine mind to the human mind, or from the preacher’s mind to the hearer’s mind. While it is that, in a very real and meaningful way, in this paper I seek to explore whether there is more. As incarnate creatures, God has made humans to consist of spiritual and physical aspects. If we focus wholly on the “mental truth transfer” aspect of speech, especially in the case of preaching, how does this leave the Church equipped to bridge the divide between the mental information and what they are to do in their bodies? By interacting with and interfacing the triadic framework of speech act theory with the triadic frameworks of Dorothy Sayers and John Frame, I seek to understand preaching in 1 J. -
Anthropological Theory
Anthropological Theory http://ant.sagepub.com John Searle on a witch hunt: A commentary on John R. Searle's essay ‘Social ontology: Some basic principles’ Richard A. Shweder Anthropological Theory 2006; 6; 89 DOI: 10.1177/1463499606061739 The online version of this article can be found at: http://ant.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/6/1/89 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Anthropological Theory can be found at: Email Alerts: http://ant.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://ant.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Downloaded from http://ant.sagepub.com at UNIV OF CHICAGO LIBRARY on November 5, 2007 © 2006 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution. Anthropological Theory Copyright © 2006 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi) http://ant.sagepub.com Vol 6(1): 89–111 10.1177/1463499606061739 John Searle on a witch hunt A commentary on John R. Searle’s essay ‘Social ontology: Some basic principles’ Richard A. Shweder University of Chicago, USA Abstract In this commentary I respond to John Searle’s conceptual framework for the interpretation of ‘social facts’ as a provocation to spell out some of the philosophical foundations of the romantic pluralist tradition in cultural anthropology. Romantic pluralists in anthropology seek to affirm (to the extent such affirmation is reasonably possible) what the philosopher John Gray describes as ‘the reality, validity and human intelligibility of values and forms of life very different from our own’. With special attention to two examples of contemporary social facts (a witchcraft tribunal in Africa and death pollution practices in a Hindu temple town), the commentary raises questions about John Searle’s approach to the mind-body problem and his account of epistemic objectivity and ontological subjectivity with regard to social facts. -
Title Peirce's General Theory of Signs Author(S)
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Kyoto University Research Information Repository Title Peirce's General Theory of Signs Author(s) Clare Thornbury Finding Meaning, Cultures Across Borders: International Citation Dialogue between Philosophy and Psychology (2011): 49-57 Issue Date 2011-03-31 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/143046 The copyright of papers included in this paper belongs to each Right author. Type Article Textversion publisher Kyoto University 49 Peirce's General Theory of Signs CLARE THORNBURY Institute of Education, University of London Charles. S Peirce was one ofthe founders ofPragmatism, alongside William James and John Dewey. This paper looks at Peirce's later work on his theory of signs, or semiotic. Peirce's semiotic is a broad one, including as signs things that other semioticians may reject. Peirce's semiotic includes a key division ofsigns into the three categories ofIcon, Index and Symbol. This trichotomy and the breadth ofPeirce's semiotic makes it well suited to, for example, a semiology of cinema. The basic structure ofthe sign in Peirce is also triadic, being a relation between sign-object-interpretant, and this brings us to a further appreciation of the sign as sign-action: a move from semiotic to semiosis. Peirce's approach to the philosophy of language goes beyond language to a theory of signs in general, and this 'semiotic' is deeply embedded within his broader systematic philosophical works. To understand it therefore, it is helpful to do two things: 1) to understand the breadth of Peirce's semiotic and 2) to differentiate it from other philosophical theories in the field. -
Reception of Externalized Knowledge a Constructivistic Model Based on Popper's Three Worlds and Searle's Collective Intentionality
Reception of externalized knowledge A constructivistic model based on Popper's Three Worlds and Searle's Collective Intentionality Winfried Gödert – Klaus Lepsky April 2019 Institute of Information Science TH Köln / University of Applied Sciences Claudiusstraße 1, D-50678 Köln [email protected] [email protected] Summary We provide a model for the reception of knowledge from externalized information sources. The model is based on a cognitive understanding of information processing and draws up ideas of an exchange of information in communication processes. Karl Popper's three-world theory with its orientation on falsifiable scientific knowledge is extended by John Searle's concept of collective intentionality. This allows a consistent description of externalization and reception of knowledge including scientific knowledge as well as everyday knowledge. 1 Introduction It is generally assumed that knowledge is in people's minds and that this knowledge can be com- municated to other people as well as taken over by other people. There is also a general consensus that, in addition to direct communication, this can also be achieved by conveying knowledge through various forms of media presentation, e.g. books, and their reception. The prerequisite for this mediation is the externalization of knowledge by the knowledgeable person, e.g. by writing a book.1 For the consideration of such externalization and reception processes it seems reasonable to make the following distinction between types of knowledge: • Knowledge in one's own head for various purposes, such as problem solving or acting. • Knowledge in other people's minds. • Knowledge in externalized form, e.g. -
Having Hands, Even in the Vat: What the Semantic Argument Really Shows About Skepticism by Samuel R Burns
Having Hands, Even in the Vat: What the Semantic Argument Really Shows about Skepticism by Samuel R Burns A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honors Department of Philosophy in The University of Michigan 2010 Advisors: Professor Gordon Belot Assistant Professor David Baker ”With relief, with humiliation, with terror, he understood that he also was an illusion, that someone else was dreaming him.” Jorge Luis Borges, “The Circular Ruins” “With your feet in the air and your head on the ground/Try this trick and spin it/ Your head will collapse/But there’s nothing in it/And you’ll ask yourself: ‘Where is my mind?’” The Pixies © Samuel R Burns 2010 To Nami ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................iv 1. The Foundation ............................................................................................1 1.1. The Causal Theory of Reference ........................................................................4 1.2. Semantic Externalism ........................................................................................11 2. The Semantic Argument ...........................................................................16 2.1. Putnam’s Argument ...........................................................................................16 2.2. The Disquotation Principle ..............................................................................19 -
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy the Chinese Room Argument
5/30/2016 The Chinese Room Argument (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy The Chinese Room Argument First published Fri Mar 19, 2004; substantive revision Wed Apr 9, 2014 The argument and thoughtexperiment now generally known as the Chinese Room Argument was first published in a paper in 1980 by American philosopher John Searle (1932 ). It has become one of the bestknown arguments in recent philosophy. Searle imagines himself alone in a room following a computer program for responding to Chinese characters slipped under the door. Searle understands nothing of Chinese, and yet, by following the program for manipulating symbols and numerals just as a computer does, he produces appropriate strings of Chinese characters that fool those outside into thinking there is a Chinese speaker in the room. The narrow conclusion of the argument is that programming a digital computer may make it appear to understand language but does not produce real understanding. Hence the “Turing Test” is inadequate. Searle argues that the thought experiment underscores the fact that computers merely use syntactic rules to manipulate symbol strings, but have no understanding of meaning or semantics. The broader conclusion of the argument is that the theory that human minds are computerlike computational or information processing systems is refuted. Instead minds must result from biological processes; computers can at best simulate these biological processes. Thus the argument has large implications for semantics, philosophy of language and mind, theories of consciousness, computer science and cognitive science generally. As a result, there have been many critical replies to the argument. -
Social Ontology
Social Ontology Brian Epstein, Tufts University “Social Ontology,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, first version published March 2018, http://plato.stanford.edu/social-ontology Social ontology is the study of the nature and properties of the social world. It is concerned with analyzing the various entities in the world that arise from social interaction. A prominent topic in social ontology is the analysis of social groups. Do social groups exist at all? If so, what sorts of entities are they, and how are they created? Is a social group distinct from the collection of people who are its members, and if so, how is it different? What sorts of properties do social groups have? Can they have beliefs or intentions? Can they perform actions? And if so, what does it take for a group to believe, intend, or act? Other entities investigated in social ontology include money, corporations, institutions, property, social classes, races, genders, artifacts, artworks, language, and law. It is difficult to delineate a precise scope for the field (see section 2.1). In general, though, the entities explored in social ontology largely overlap with those that social scientists work on. A good deal of the work in social ontology takes place within the social sciences (see sections 5.1–5.8). Social ontology also addresses more basic questions about the nature of the social world. One set of questions pertains to the constituents, or building blocks, of social things in general. For instance, some theories argue that social entities are built out of the psychological states of individual people, while others argue that they are built out of actions, and yet others that they are built out of practices. -
Chapter Ii Review of Related Literature
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter covers the discussion of general theory of semiotics, general concept of Roland Barthes’ terms orders of signification that are denotative and connotative meaning and the definition of context and song lyrics in literature and also the preview of the previous studies. A. Definition of Semiotics Beyond the most basic definition as ―the study of signs‖, there is considerable variation among leading semioticians as to what semiotics involves. As Chandler (2002) cited from Eco (1976) that one of the broadest definitions is that of Umberto Eco, who states that ―semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign‖. The study is involved by semiotics, not only as ―sign‖ of what we refer to call or say in daily speech, but as anything which ―stands for‖ something else. In the sense of semiotic, the form of words, images, sounds, gestures and objects are taken by the signs. Modern semioticians study the signs not in isolation but as part of ―sign-systems‖ of semiotics (such as a genre or medium or). They study how to make meanings and how to represent the reality. Knowledge to study human life’s sign is called Semiotics. It is acquiescent as the method of the study in the Association for Semiotics Studies’ first conference in 1974. A sign is something which means something else for someone. On the side of etymology, the Greek word 14 15 ―semeion” was taken to make the word of ―Semiotics‖ itself which has a ―sign‖ meaning. A sign thereat means a thing referring other thing. -
Invitation to Peirce's Theory
372 Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen Sign Systems Studies 43(4), 2015, 372–398 Signs systematically studied: Invitation to Peirce’s theory Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen Chair of Philosophy, Tallinn University of Technology Akadeemia tee 3, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. Th is introductory presentation reviews noteworthy topics and concepts in Peirce’s interrelated kingdoms of the theory of signs, their classifi cation, categories, logic and semeiotic. Keywords: Charles Peirce, categories, signs, classifi cation, logic, semeiotic CHARLES SANTIAGO SANDERS PEIRCE (c.1839), son of the mathematician Benjamin P., brought up in a circle of physicists and naturalists, and specially educated as a chemist, derived his fi rst introduction to philosophy from the K.d.R.V. [Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, 1781] and other celebrated German works, and only later made acquaintance with English, Greek, and Scholastic philosophy. Accepting unreservedly Kant’s opinion that the meta- physical conceptions are merely the logical conceptions diff erently applied, he inferred that logic ought to be studied in the spirit of the exact sciences, and regarded Kant’s table of functions of judgment as culpably superfi cial. (MS L 107: 1, 26 October 1904, Auto-Biography for Matthew Mattoon Curtis, Draft C, marked “fi nal” by Peirce.) Th us begins Peirce’s sketch of his autobiography, which was never published in his life time.1 Peirce’s theory of signs is a colossal theory of representation, reasoning, meaning, communication and signifi cation, never made available in print in full.2 1 For partial publications of Peirce’s autobiography in MS L 107, see Ketner 1983 and Stuhr 1987. -
Bertrand Russell on Perception and Knowledge (1927 – 59)
BERTRAND RUSSELL ON PERCEPTION AND KNOWLEDGE (1927 – 59) BERTRAND RUSSELL ON PERCEPTION AND KNOWLEDGE (1927 – 59) By DUSTIN Z. OLSON, B.A. (Hons.) A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Philosophy McMaster University © Copyright by Dustin Z. Olson, August 2011 ii MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY (2011) McMaster University (Philosophy) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: Bertrand Russell on Perception and Knowledge (1927 – 59) AUTHOR: Dustin Z. Olson SUPERVISOR: Nicholas Griffin NUMBER OF PAGES: vii, 154 iii ABSTRACT Bertrand Russell is one of the grandmasters of 20 th Century Analytic Philosophy. It is surprising, then, that his work fell out of fashion later in his career. As a result, very little has been discussed concerning Russell’s work from the period of 1927 – 59. This thesis provides an analysis of Russell’s philosophical work from this era. Our attention here is on Russell’s theory of perception and the underlying metaphysical structure that is developed as a result of his scientific outlook, as Russell’s philosophy during this time focused almost exclusively on perception, knowledge, and the epistemic relationship humans have with the world according to science. And because Russell’s system is in many ways prescient with regards to recent advances made in perception, mind and matter, and knowledge more generally, we also apply his theory to developments in the philosophy of perception since that time. Our initial discussion – Chapters 1 and 2 – is most concerned with an accurate explication of the concepts germane to and conclusions formed from Russell’s theory of perception.