philosophy-of-language
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ChinesePhilosophy of Language Skill
语言哲学 Skill
Master the philosophical study of language: How do words mean? How does reference work? What is truth?
精通语言的哲学研究:词语如何产生意义?指称如何运作?真理是什么?
Core Questions
核心问题
| Question | Issue |
|---|---|
| How do words mean? | Theory of meaning |
| How do names refer? | Reference theory |
| What is truth? | Truth theories |
| What do we do with words? | Speech act theory |
| 问题 | 议题 |
|---|---|
| 词语如何产生意义? | 意义理论 |
| 名称如何实现指称? | 指称理论 |
| 真理是什么? | 真理理论 |
| 我们用词语做什么? | 言语行为理论 |
Theories of Meaning
意义理论
Frege: Sense and Reference
弗雷格(Frege):涵义(Sense)与指称(Reference)
FREGEAN SEMANTICS
═════════════════
REFERENCE (Bedeutung)
├── What expression picks out
├── "Venus" refers to Venus
└── Compositional: Reference of whole from parts
SENSE (Sinn)
├── Mode of presentation
├── Cognitive significance
├── "Morning star" vs. "Evening star"
└── Same reference, different sense
WHY BOTH?
├── "Hesperus = Phosphorus" is informative
├── "Hesperus = Hesperus" is trivial
├── Same reference, different sense
└── Sense determines referenceFREGEAN SEMANTICS
═════════════════
REFERENCE (Bedeutung)
├── What expression picks out
├── "Venus" refers to Venus
└── Compositional: Reference of whole from parts
SENSE (Sinn)
├── Mode of presentation
├── Cognitive significance
├── "Morning star" vs. "Evening star"
└── Same reference, different sense
WHY BOTH?
├── "Hesperus = Phosphorus" is informative
├── "Hesperus = Hesperus" is trivial
├── Same reference, different sense
└── Sense determines referenceRussell: Descriptions
罗素(Russell):摹状词理论
The Problem: "The present King of France is bald"
- No King of France exists
- What does the sentence mean?
Russell's Analysis:
"The F is G" =
∃x(Fx ∧ ∀y(Fy → y=x) ∧ Gx)
"There is exactly one F, and it is G"
Not a referring expression but a quantified claim
False (not meaningless) because no unique F exists问题:"当今法国国王是秃头"
- 法国目前没有国王
- 这个句子的意义是什么?
罗素的分析:
"The F is G" =
∃x(Fx ∧ ∀y(Fy → y=x) ∧ Gx)
"There is exactly one F, and it is G"
Not a referring expression but a quantified claim
False (not meaningless) because no unique F existsDirect Reference
直接指称理论
Kripke's Revolution:
- Names are rigid designators
- Refer to same thing in all possible worlds
- Not abbreviated descriptions
KRIPKE'S ARGUMENTS
══════════════════
MODAL ARGUMENT:
"Aristotle might not have been a philosopher"
├── Makes sense
├── But "The teacher of Alexander might not have taught Alexander"
│ └── Would make Aristotle not Aristotle
└── Names ≠ descriptions
EPISTEMIC ARGUMENT:
We can discover "Hesperus = Phosphorus"
├── A posteriori necessary truth
├── Same thing in all worlds
└── But discovered, not known a priori
SEMANTIC ARGUMENT:
Reference is causal-historical
├── Not by fitting description
├── Baptism + chain of communication
└── Name-using practice克里普克(Kripke)的革命:
- 名称是严格指示词(rigid designators)
- 在所有可能世界中指称同一对象
- 并非缩写的摹状词
KRIPKE'S ARGUMENTS
══════════════════
MODAL ARGUMENT:
"Aristotle might not have been a philosopher"
├── Makes sense
├── But "The teacher of Alexander might not have taught Alexander"
│ └── Would make Aristotle not Aristotle
└── Names ≠ descriptions
EPISTEMIC ARGUMENT:
We can discover "Hesperus = Phosphorus"
├── A posteriori necessary truth
├── Same thing in all worlds
└── But discovered, not known a priori
SEMANTIC ARGUMENT:
Reference is causal-historical
├── Not by fitting description
├── Baptism + chain of communication
└── Name-using practiceMeaning and Use
意义与使用
Wittgenstein: Meaning as Use
维特根斯坦(Wittgenstein):意义即使用
Early: Meaning is picturing reality
Later: "Meaning is use in a language game"
Language Games:
- Meaning depends on context, rules, practice
- No single essence to "meaning"
- Family resemblance
Private Language Argument:
- No purely private meanings
- Rule-following requires community
- Meaning is public
早期观点:意义是对现实的描绘
后期观点:"意义即语言游戏中的使用"
语言游戏:
- 意义依赖于语境、规则与实践
- "意义"没有单一本质
- 家族相似性
私人语言论证:
- 不存在纯粹私人的意义
- 遵循规则需要社群参与
- 意义具有公共性
Speech Act Theory (Austin, Searle)
言语行为理论(Austin、Searle)
SPEECH ACT THEORY
═════════════════
THREE TYPES OF ACTS:
LOCUTIONARY
├── Saying something with meaning
└── Uttering words with sense and reference
ILLOCUTIONARY
├── What you do in saying it
├── Promising, warning, asserting
└── Force of the utterance
PERLOCUTIONARY
├── Effect on hearer
├── Persuading, frightening, amusing
└── Consequences of saying
FELICITY CONDITIONS:
├── Preparatory: Appropriate circumstances
├── Sincerity: Speaker means it
├── Essential: Counts as the act
└── Infelicity: Act fails (not false, but unhappy)SPEECH ACT THEORY
═════════════════
THREE TYPES OF ACTS:
LOCUTIONARY
├── Saying something with meaning
└── Uttering words with sense and reference
ILLOCUTIONARY
├── What you do in saying it
├── Promising, warning, asserting
└── Force of the utterance
PERLOCUTIONARY
├── Effect on hearer
├── Persuading, frightening, amusing
└── Consequences of saying
FELICITY CONDITIONS:
├── Preparatory: Appropriate circumstances
├── Sincerity: Speaker means it
├── Essential: Counts as the act
└── Infelicity: Act fails (not false, but unhappy)Reference and Names
指称与名称
Descriptivist Theory
摹状词理论
Frege/Russell: Names = disguised descriptions
- "Aristotle" = "The teacher of Alexander" (or cluster)
- Reference determined by satisfying description
Problems (Kripke):
- Modal: Could have failed to satisfy description
- Epistemic: Can discover identity
- Semantic: Reference even with false beliefs
弗雷格/罗素:名称=伪装的摹状词
- "亚里士多德" = "亚历山大的老师"(或一组摹状词)
- 指称由满足摹状词的对象决定
问题(克里普克提出):
- 模态问题:名称可能不满足摹状词
- 认知问题:可以发现同一性
- 语义问题:即使存在错误信念仍能指称
Causal-Historical Theory
因果历史理论
Kripke/Putnam:
- Initial baptism fixes reference
- Reference transmitted through causal chain
- Community-based reference
克里普克/普特南(Putnam):
- 初始命名仪式固定指称
- 指称通过因果链条传递
- 基于社群的指称
Natural Kind Terms
自然种类术语
Putnam's Twin Earth:
TWIN EARTH
══════════
Scenario:
├── Twin Earth exactly like Earth
├── Except "water" is XYZ, not H₂O
├── XYZ phenomenally identical to H₂O
└── 1750: No one knows difference
Question: Does "water" mean the same?
Putnam: No!
├── "Water" on Earth refers to H₂O
├── "Water" on Twin Earth refers to XYZ
├── "Meanings ain't in the head"
└── Natural kind terms refer to natural kinds普特南的孪生地球思想实验:
TWIN EARTH
══════════
Scenario:
├── Twin Earth exactly like Earth
├── Except "water" is XYZ, not H₂O
├── XYZ phenomenally identical to H₂O
└── 1750: No one knows difference
Question: Does "water" mean the same?
Putnam: No!
├── "Water" on Earth refers to H₂O
├── "Water" on Twin Earth refers to XYZ
├── "Meanings ain't in the head"
└── Natural kind terms refer to natural kindsTruth
真理
Correspondence Theory
符合论
- Truth = correspondence to facts
- "Snow is white" is true iff snow is white
- Problems: What are facts? What is correspondence?
- 真理=与事实相符
- "雪是白色的"为真当且仅当雪是白色的
- 问题:什么是事实?什么是相符关系?
Coherence Theory
融贯论
- Truth = coherence with other beliefs
- System of beliefs that hangs together
- Problems: Coherent fictions?
- 真理=与其他信念融贯一致
- 相互关联的信念体系
- 问题:融贯的虚构内容是否为真?
Pragmatic Theory
实用论
- Truth = what works
- Useful beliefs are true
- Problems: Useful ≠ true
- 真理=有用的信念
- 有用的信念即为真
- 问题:有用≠真实
Deflationism
紧缩论
- "True" is just a device for endorsement
- "Snow is white" is true = Snow is white
- No substantial property
- "真"只是一种认可手段
- "雪是白色的"为真=雪是白色的
- 不存在实质性的真理属性
Tarski's Semantic Theory
塔尔斯基(Tarski)的语义真理论
TARSKIAN TRUTH
══════════════
T-SCHEMA:
"S" is true iff S
EXAMPLE:
"Snow is white" is true iff snow is white
Requirements:
├── Object language (mentioned)
├── Metalanguage (used)
├── Hierarchy avoids liar paradox
└── Truth defined for formal languagesTARSKIAN TRUTH
══════════════
T-SCHEMA:
"S" is true iff S
EXAMPLE:
"Snow is white" is true iff snow is white
Requirements:
├── Object language (mentioned)
├── Metalanguage (used)
├── Hierarchy avoids liar paradox
└── Truth defined for formal languagesContext and Indexicals
语境与索引词
Indexicals
索引词
- "I", "here", "now", "this"
- Reference depends on context of utterance
- Kaplan: Character vs. Content
KAPLAN'S THEORY
═══════════════
CHARACTER
├── Rule for determining reference
├── "I" = speaker of context
└── Constant across contexts
CONTENT
├── What's said in context
├── "I am tired" said by me
└── Proposition about me- "I"、"here"、"now"、"this"
- 指称依赖于话语语境
- 卡普兰(Kaplan):特征(Character)vs. 内容(Content)
KAPLAN'S THEORY
═══════════════
CHARACTER
├── Rule for determining reference
├── "I" = speaker of context
└── Constant across contexts
CONTENT
├── What's said in context
├── "I am tired" said by me
└── Proposition about meContextualism
语境论
- Meaning of many expressions context-dependent
- Not just indexicals
- "Knows", "tall", "ready"
- 许多表达式的意义依赖于语境
- 不仅限于索引词
- 例如"Knows"、"tall"、"ready"
Key Vocabulary
核心词汇
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sense | Mode of presentation |
| Reference | What expression picks out |
| Rigid designator | Same reference in all worlds |
| Indexical | Context-dependent expression |
| Proposition | What is said, content |
| Speech act | Action performed in speaking |
| Illocutionary force | Type of speech act |
| Compositionality | Meaning of whole from parts |
| Use theory | Meaning is use |
| Direct reference | Names refer without sense |
| 术语 | 含义 |
|---|---|
| Sense | 呈现方式 |
| Reference | 表达式所指对象 |
| Rigid designator | 所有可能世界中指称同一对象的词项 |
| Indexical | 依赖语境的表达式 |
| Proposition | 话语内容、命题 |
| Speech act | 言语行为 |
| Illocutionary force | 言语行为的语力 |
| Compositionality | 整体意义由部分意义构成 |
| Use theory | 意义即使用理论 |
| Direct reference | 直接指称理论 |
Integration with Repository
与知识库的整合
Related Skills
相关技能
- : Core tradition
analytic-philosophy - : Formal semantics
logic
- : 核心传统
analytic-philosophy - : 形式语义学
logic
Related Themes
相关主题
- : Language and thought
thoughts/knowledge/
- : 语言与思想
thoughts/knowledge/