Noam Chomsky - Understanding Reality
Chomsky's Philosophy・2 minutes read
Donald Davidson argued against the existence of language, yet contradicted himself by assuming a technical notion of language. The discussion delves into the distinction between folk science, ethnoscience, and metaphysics, exploring the internal constructs of the mind and challenging traditional notions of rules and competence in linguistics.
Insights
- Donald Davidson's argument against the existence of language is undermined by his reliance on a technical notion of language, revealing inherent contradictions in his position.
- The discussion on folk science, ethnoscience, and metaphysics underscores the importance of distinguishing between common beliefs, community-specific understandings, and rigorous scientific exploration, shedding light on the complexity of studying the world's operations from various perspectives.
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Recent questions
What did Donald Davidson argue about language?
Davidson argued against the existence of language.
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Summary
00:00
"Language, Folk Science, and Metaphysics Explained"
- Donald Davidson argued in a paper that there is no such thing as language, but he contradicted himself by presupposing a technical notion of language.
- Davidson's paper is filled with confusions, and while he questions the existence of language in a community sense, it is not scientifically usable.
- Folk science refers to people's beliefs about how the world operates, distinct from scientific understanding.
- Ethnoscience delves into understanding different communities' beliefs about the world's workings.
- Science discards common sense notions to explore the world's operations more accurately.
- The term "real" is used honorifically, emphasizing the truth without implying different types of truth.
- Metaphysics explores the space between ethnoscience and science, focusing on understanding the world's constituents.
- Events, like the American Revolution, raise questions about what constitutes an event and how it relates to external factors.
- Representations in philosophy differ from those in ordinary speech and sciences, focusing on internal objects rather than external ones.
- Saul Kripke's argument on rule-following in linguistics challenges traditional notions of rules and competence, prompting a reconsideration of their use.
14:36
Internal Constructs in Insect Cognitive Studies
- The discussion revolves around the attribution of computational states to various entities, including insects, emphasizing the internal constructs and computations of the mind rather than external factors.
- Insect scientists study the internal constructs of the mind on the occasion of sense, focusing on the internal nature of the beast and the cognitive powers of the mind in constructing complex internal structures.
- The debate surrounding externalist and internalist perspectives in scientific studies, exemplified by the analysis of David Marr's work on visual perception, highlights the distinction between informal expositions and actual scientific procedures, emphasizing the internal focus of research.
