Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Radical interpretation, philosophy: is an expression for a family of thought experiments, which has the object of the translation of a completely foreign language into the language of the interpreter, which the interpreter does not understand at all. See also translation, indeterminacy, Gavagai._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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David K. Lewis on Radical Interpretation - Dictionary of Arguments
V 108ff Radical Interpretation/RI/Lewis: two aspects: 1) understanding the other person - 2) understanding their language - a) how the other person expresses the content - b) how this content would be expressed in our language - e.g. Karl as a physical system provides us with the whole truth about Karl - even about his history. --- IV 110 I do not ask how do we determine the facts, but how the facts determine the facts - omniscient point of view: we can take it as long as we can also give it up again. >Omniscience/Lewis, >Facts/Lewis. IV 111 Even if all mental and semantic facts about Karl are determined by the physical facts, it does not follow that they can be represented in the language of physics. IV 112 If he has propositional attitudes, it is analytic that they are more or less in conformity with the limiting principles by which these concepts are defined. IV 113 We assume a system of basal intrinsic values, which is similar to ours and which leads to similar beliefs and desires in Karl. IV 117 Radical Interpretation/RI/Lewis: problem: too much emphasis is placed on language as the vehicle of the manifestation of belief and belief as manifested in the speech- and too little emphasis on language as a social practice. - Solution: observe the behavior first and do not pay attention to the foreign language. IV 117f Radical Interpretation/RI/Lewis: We’re not interested in a practical solution in the end, we want to know how the semantic and mental facts are determined by the physical facts. IV 118 What matters: 1) What is the problem of radical interpretation after all. - ) The amount of the limitations by which it is solved and the source of their limiting power - 3) the presupposition that the physical facts determine the mental and the semantic facts - 4) the extent of their determination. - Problem: the truth conditions for whole sentences are not sufficient to determine all subsentential meanings of what is foreign. IV 119 Shifted pain: we have take the causal role in Karl community as a basis, not in the individual Karl. >Causal role/Lewis, >Pain/Lewis. IV 120 Being different: means to be in a way that the best scheme for their kind attributes these attitudes to them - if there is no uniform best scheme, Karl's attitudes and opinions are indeterminate to the degree to which there are conflicts. IV 121 Radical Interpretation/RI/Intrinsic/Meaning//Lewis: E.g. assuming strong individual deviations: the mental states of someone are the intrinsic states in which he is. Nevertheless, what makes them the states - what makes them take the causal role that they are taking - is not entirely intrinsic. To a certain extent it has to do with others of its kind. But this extent is limited, because most cases are not so extraordinary._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Lewis I David K. Lewis Die Identität von Körper und Geist Frankfurt 1989 Lewis I (a) David K. Lewis An Argument for the Identity Theory, in: Journal of Philosophy 63 (1966) In Die Identität von Körper und Geist, , Frankfurt/M. 1989 Lewis I (b) David K. Lewis Psychophysical and Theoretical Identifications, in: Australasian Journal of Philosophy 50 (1972) In Die Identität von Körper und Geist, , Frankfurt/M. 1989 Lewis I (c) David K. Lewis Mad Pain and Martian Pain, Readings in Philosophy of Psychology, Vol. 1, Ned Block (ed.) Harvard University Press, 1980 In Die Identität von Körper und Geist, , Frankfurt/M. 1989 Lewis II David K. Lewis "Languages and Language", in: K. Gunderson (Ed.), Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol. VII, Language, Mind, and Knowledge, Minneapolis 1975, pp. 3-35 In Handlung, Kommunikation, Bedeutung, Georg Meggle, Frankfurt/M. 1979 Lewis IV David K. Lewis Philosophical Papers Bd I New York Oxford 1983 Lewis V David K. Lewis Philosophical Papers Bd II New York Oxford 1986 Lewis VI David K. Lewis Convention. A Philosophical Study, Cambridge/MA 1969 German Edition: Konventionen Berlin 1975 LewisCl Clarence Irving Lewis Collected Papers of Clarence Irving Lewis Stanford 1970 LewisCl I Clarence Irving Lewis Mind and the World Order: Outline of a Theory of Knowledge (Dover Books on Western Philosophy) 1991 |
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> Counter arguments against Lewis
> Counter arguments in relation to Radical Interpretation
Ed. Martin Schulz, access date 2024-04-27