Philosophical Grammar 3

3. One can say that meaning drops out of language.

In contrast: “Did you mean that seriously or as a joke?”

When we mean (and don’t just sat) words it seems to us as if there were something coupled to the words.

“One can say that meaning drops out of language; because what a proposition means is told by another proposition.”

yes – what a proposition means is told by another proposition – etc. etc.

the meaning of one proposition is to be found in its replacement

and so – on this view meaning is never fixed –

i.e. “Did you mean that seriously or as a joke?”

what we mean is not something coupled to the words –

meaning just is this activity of language

if the question is – ‘what does so and so mean?’ –

the answer involves you in question and speculation –

and so at any point in this activity – meaning is indeterminate –

(and if you are looking for an final answer to the question –

then meaning is – unknown)

in practice at some point in this language activity –

for purely practical human reasons –

we opt out of the logical game –

and decide for – go for –

what is at hand

© greg t. charlton. 2014.