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Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (AJMS) View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies (AJMS) Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies ISSN: 2321-8819 (Online) Volume 2, Issue 8, August 2014 2348-7186 (Print) Impact Factor: 0.923 Meaning: A Road to Quine’s Theory Rajiba Lochan Behera Research scholar, Department of philosophy, University of hyderabad School of humanities, P.o. Central university Gachibowli, hyderabad-500046 Andhra pradesh(india). Abstract: The meaning holistic ideas were introduced into analytic philosophy in the early 1950s in work by Carl Gustav Hempel in 1950 and Williard Van Orman Quine in 1951. Both of them were concerned with the meaning of theoretical sentences within the formulation of a scientific theory. Hempel articulated an idea of intenterdependence among expressions. They have stated that, to know the meaning of a hypothesis within an empirical language, we have to know not merely what observational sentences it entails alone or in conjunction with subsidiary hypothesis, but also we have to know what non-observational, empirical sentences are entailed by it. Then one would be able to confirm or disconfirm the theory. According to Quine to get a meaning of a statement we have to understand the meaning of the whole body of statements because the meaning of the statement depends upon the bundle of other related statements which belongs to a system. So Quine rejected the logical positivist‟s atomistic view of meaning theory. Conclusively he introduced a new theory of meaning which is called holistic like such as moderate and radical holism. Keywords: Meaning-Holism, Semantics, Positivism, Observation, Empiricism, Reference etc. Introduction: by way of ostensive definition or some special causal relation. Here both approaches are free from The term meaning holism is stands for a semantic the notion of necessary relation involving some thesis. According to this thesis meaning accrues to kind of mental act. But according to Frege, the whole body of sentences and not to the single meaning is sense which is different from reference. sentences. According to Quine to get a meaning of a statement we have to understand the meaning of According to Quine, when meaning is a mental the whole body of statements because the meaning entity it is called mentalists theory of meaning. of the statement depends upon the bundle of other Again Quine thought that if this is the case then related statements which belongs to a system. So communication would be impossible, because Quine rejected the logical positivist‟s atomistic meaning would be subjective, private and arbitrary. view of meaning theory. Conclusively he According to Quine when the meaning is a introduced a new theory of meaning which is called intentional entity it is called intentional theory of holistic like such as moderate and radical holism. meaning.1 Quine’s Theories of Meaning: Holistic Theory of Meaning: According to Quine, there are only three plausible According to the common view, meaning theories of meaning. These as follows: holism (MH) is the thesis that what a linguistic a. Reference theory of meaning. expression means depends on its relations to many or all other expressions within the same totality. b. Mentalist theory of meaning. Meaning holism is a theory which bring c. Intentional theory of meaning. out the conceptual or relations between expression According to him, reference theory of meaning is in a language. The term meaning holism is stands one in which meaning of the word refers to that for for a semantic thesis. According to this thesis which the word stand for. So Quine introduces a meaning accrues to the whole body of sentences new theory of reference that is held to avoid the and not to the single sentences. problem of the simple denotation theory. There are The meaning holistic ideas were introduced into two types of reference theories; these are as analytic philosophy in the early 1950s in work by follows: Carl Gustav Hempel in 1950 and Williard Van a. (1) Causal theory of reference. Orman Quine in 1951. Both of them were concerned with the meaning of theoretical a. (2) Direct reference theory. sentences within the formulation of a scientific According to Quine, when the references identify theory. Hempel articulated an idea of the relation between words and objects it is called intenterdependence among expressions. They have causal theory of reference. But when the object or property referred to just is the meaning of the 1 Ibid, pp.18.20. expression, the reference relation is not explained Available online at www.ajms.co.in 137 Meaning: A Road to Quine‟s Theory stated that, to know the meaning of a hypothesis According to Donald Davidson‟s,, theory of radical within an empirical language, we have to know not interpretation a correct semantic theory for the merely what observational sentences it entails language of a particular speaker is a theory that alone or in conjunction with subsidiary hypothesis, results from methodologically correct interpretation but also we have to know what no of the utterances of that speaker. Such interpretation is holistic in the sense that only observational, empirical sentences are entailed by whole theories can be tested by the interpretation it. Then one would be able to confirm or method.4 disconfirm the theory.2 According to Wittgenstein, the use of language Different Views of Holism: explains what language is all about. He says that According to Hempel, the holism is called understanding the language means understanding confirmation holism or epistemological holism. the rule as well as the purposes of linguistic Hempel‟s idea was a way of accounting both activities, purposive activities etc. so Wittgenstein theatrical sentences as well as observational says: sentence together. It is sometime called “What we call “understanding language” is often confirmation holism or epistemological holism. like understanding we get of a calculus when we According to Wilfrid Sellars, the meaning of an learn its history or its practical application. And expression is determined by the set of rules there too we meet an easily survivable symbolism governing the kinds of „moves‟ that can be made instead of one that is strange to us. Imagine that with it in the game. He says that there are three someone had originally learnt chess as a writing kinds of move; game. And was later shown the “interpretation” of chess as a board game. In this case “„to understand‟ a). Language entry moves (which lead from means something like „to take in as a whole‟”.5 observation to the acceptance of a sentence). Wittgenstein says that “the meaning of a word is its b). Intra-language moves (which are inferential use in the language”. A word is fully functional transitions from sentences to a sentence). when it is operating in a sentence. It is because in c). Language exit moves (which lead from accepted the sentence it is used according to rules. sentences to action). Wittgenstein defends a form of meaning holism.6 Sellar‟s view is that sameness of meaning consists Quine’s Theory of Meaning Holism: in sameness of role in a language game. According to Quine, “the meaning of the Harman and others have defended individual expression depends on the totality to conceptual role or inferential role semantics. In a which they belongs is called meaning holism”. narrower sense, inferential role semantics is Thus under Quinean holism, the knowledge of the concerned with the meaning of sentences only, and content of a sentence requires knowledge of the identifies it with its role in a set of correct or entire language to which the sentence belongs. accepted inference patterns, whereas conceptual For example: suppose we want to know the role semantics is concerned also with sub-sentential meaning of „snow‟, then first we have to know expressions and with their roles not only in some related sentences in which the word „snow‟ is inferences proper, but also roles in relation to used. perception and action. Quine suggested that the cognitive output is stored According to Harman and Block, the theories are in language and the sensory output is distributed concerned with mental language, which is a system throughout the discourse. So there is no of mental representations having its own syntax compartmentalization involved in understanding like structure. Again, the holistic element consists meaning. Therefore meaning goes holistic.7 in the idea that the conceptual role of a mental reorientation relates it directly or indirectly to all or Types of Meaning Holism by Quine: at least many other mental representations in the same system, and meaning is determined by the 4 conceptual role.3 Donald Davidson, Inquirees into Truth and Interpretation, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1984, pp.220-223 2Peter Pagin, “Meaning Holism” in, The Oxford 5 Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Handbook of Philosophy of language, (ed) by E. Investigation, Translated by G. E. M. Anscombe, Lepore and B. Smith Oxford University Press, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 1953, pp.21-30. 2001, pp.213-215. 6 R. C. Pradhan, Recent Developments in Analytic 3 Mask Greenberg and Gilbert Harman, Philosophy, ICPR, New Delhi, 2001, pp.238-241. “Conceptual Role Semantics” in The Oxford 7 Michael Dummett and Richard G. Heck, Jnr. Handbook of Philosophy of Language, (ed.) by E. (ed.), Language, Thought, and logic, Oxford Lepore and B. Smith, Oxford University Press, University Press, 1997, pp.71-80. 2001, pp. 295-298. Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2(8) August, 2014 138 Meaning: A Road to Quine‟s Theory According to Quine, basically holism can be 6a. Dummett‟s language learning divided into two kinds: argument. 4.1a. Moderate Holism: According to Dummett, if meaning holism is true, then a language cannot be learnt incrementally, According to Quine, a speaker is always in the since learning is always of the small part of the position of someone who hears a sentence not all of language.
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