Beyond concepts : unicepts, language, and natural information / Ruth Garrett Millikan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Millikan, Ruth Garrett, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Knowledge, Theory of.

Ontology.

Cognition.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations (black and white)

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Unicepts, language, and natural information

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2017.

Summary:

Ruth Garrett Millikan presents a strikingly original account of how we get to grips with the world in thought. Her question is Kant's 'How is knowledge possible?', answered from a contemporary naturalist standpoint. We begin with an understanding of what the world is like prior to cognition, then develop a theory of cognition within that world.

Contents:

pt. I Unicepts

Introduction to Part I

0.1. Overview

0.2. Selection Processes

0.3. Ontology and Language

0.4. Unicepts and Unitrackers

0.5. Organization and Method

0.6. Acknowledgments

1. Clumpy World

1.1. Overview

1.2. Real Kinds

1.3. Reproduction and Mass Production

1.4. Historical Kinds

1.5. Individuals

1.6. Eternal Kinds

1.7. Shapes and Divisions of Historical Kind Clumps

1.8. Real Categories

2. Direct Reference for Extensional Terms

2.1. Overview

2.2. Conventions of Language

2.3. Following Precedent

2.4. Direct Reference to Clumps

2.5. Identifying through Language

2.6. Real Definitions

2.7. Names for Properties

2.8. Boundaries and Slippage

2.9. Communication with Names for Clumps and Peaks

3. Introducing Unitrackers and Unicepts

3.1. Overview

3.2. Initial Examples of Unitracker Function

3.3. Discarding Concepts

3.4. Details on the Nature and Function of Unicepts

3.5. Life Span and Growth of Unitrackers and Unicepts

3.6. How Names Connect with Unicepts

3.7. Role of Language in Unicept Development

3.8. On Modeling Unicepts

4. Functions of Same-Tracking

4.1. Overview

4.2. Perceptual Constancy Mechanisms

4.3. Self-Relative Location Trackers

4.4. Object Constancy

4.5. Same-Tracking for Application of Unicept Templates

4.6. Practical Stuffs and Affording Unicepts

4.7. Factic Unicepts: Substantive and Attributive

4.8. Two Closing Remarks

5. How Unicepts Get Their Referents

5.1. Overview

5.2. How Unicept Referents Are Fixed: The Quarry

5.3. Two General Principles Concerning Functions

5.4. Imprinting

5.5. More General Mechanisms for Priming Unitrackers

5.6. Some Mechanisms that Set Targets, Specifically, for Affording Unicepts

5.7. Problem of Location-Detached Signs

5.8. Third General Principle: Proxy Functions

5.9. Natural Epistemology for Substantive and Attributive Unicepts

6. Misrepresentation, Redundancy, Equivocity, Emptiness (and Swampman)

6.1. Overview

6.2. Failures of Biological Function

6.3. False Beliefs

6.4. Redundant Unitrackers and Fregean Senses

6.5. Equivocepts

6.6. Vacucepts

6.7. How Unicepts Fit with Biosemantics

6.8. Swampman

7. Philosophical Analysis; Referents of Names: Theory Change; Observation versus Theory; Theory of Mind

7.1. Overview

7.2. Philosophical Analysis

7.3. Referents of Names

7.4. Theory Change in Science

7.5. Observation versus Theory

7.6. "Theory of Mind"

pt. II Infosigns, Intentional Signs, and their Interpretation

8. Introduction to Part II

8.1. Overview

8.2. Infosigns and Natural Information

8.3. Infosigns and Intentional Signs

8.4. Interpreting Linguistic Signs

9. Indexicals and Selfsigns

9.1. Overview

9.2. Assumptions to be Questioned

9.3. Components of Conventional Linguistic Signs

9.4. Preliminary Examples of Selfsigning Components

9.5. Indexicals and Demonstratives

9.6. Addendum on Intensional Contexts

10. Anatomy of Signs

10.1. Overview

10.2. Project

10.3. Infosigns Are Always Articulate and Often Productive

10.4. Equivocal Infosigns

10.5. Infosign Systems and Families

10.6. Variants and Invariants; Embedded Infosign Families

10.7. Taxonomy of Infosign Variables

10.8. How a Language Is Put Together

11. Infosigns and Natural Information

11.1. Overview

11.2. Project

11.3. Examples of Nonintentional Infosigns

11.4. Causal Connections; Dretske on Natural Information

11.5. Correlational Information

11.6. Reference Class Problem

11.7. Addressing the Reference Class Problem

11.8. Using Infosigns

11.9. Correlations between Types of States of Affairs

11.10. Infosign Strength and Response Strength

11.11. Redundancy

11.12. Metacorrelations

11.13. Indirect Infosigns; Indirect Natural Information

12. Intentional Signs

12.1. Overview

12.2. Project

12.3. Intentional Infosigns

12.4. Intentional Signs and Stabilizing Functions

12.5. Pure and Impure Intentional Signs

12.6. Entwining of Intentional Content and Nonintentional Information

12.7. Intentional Signs Used by Non-Human Animals

12.8. Maps, Charts, Diagrams, Graphs

12.9. Extending the Senses

12.10. Inner Representations

13. Linguistic Signs

13.1. Overview

13.2. Topic

13.3. Semantic Meaning

13.4. Communicating with Language: The Broad Picture

13.5. Meta-Regularities and Extra-Semantic Infocontent

13.6. Grice's Conversational Maxims

13.7. Far-Side Pragmatic Meaning, or Semantic Meaning?

13.8. Addendum: Gricean Temptations

14. Perception, Especially Perception through Language

14.1. Overview

14.2. Project

14.3. Perception as Sign Reading

14.4. Attached and Detached Signs, with an aside on Animal Cognition

14.5. Genuine Perception Thought of as Certain

14.6. Contents of Perceptual Experience

14.7. Translating Linguistic Signs into Understanding

14.8. Replies to Objections

15. Markers of Identity and Grounded Infosigns

15.1. Overview

15.2. Selfsigns of Identity: Duplicate Markers; Strawson Markers

15.3. Anaphoric Signs of Identity

15.4. Grounding as Indicating Identity

15.5. Situated Signs; Counting up Signs

15.6. Recognizing Identity: A Reminder

16. Out-Side Pragmatics: Descriptions, Quantifiers, Directives

16.1. Overview

16.2. Three Kinds of Referent

16.3. Functions of the Definite and Indefinite Articles

16.4. Quantifiers, Possessives, and Proper Names

16.5. Thumbnail Review of Basic Themes.

Notes:

Previously issued in print: 2017.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on September 15, 2017).

ISBN:

0-19-178594-6