Distinguish Between Sense Reference And Denotation Philosophy Essay

Distinguish Between Sense Reference And Denotation Philosophy EssayIndividuals transfer their thoughts and brains to each other via address. The loudspeakers of a language have a common basic vocabulary, and part the knowledge of nitty-gritty of several words, in their mental lexicon. The meaning of an expression cannot be understood as the definitions found in a dictionary entry consequently, linguists suggest alternative ways of defining meaning. K. Nelson (1985) proposed that meaning has three counterparts relating to reference, denotation and horse sense.A reference is the sleeper in the midst of an expression and the object it refers to (the denotative). Expressions referring to a situation object or entity in the world argon spotd as referring expressions J.I Saeed (2003). Therefore, girl is a referent in That girl seems nice, which is a referring expression.Objects in the worldReference, partly depends on the sense of expressions. Sense shows a birth between the ex pression and the object in the world, in relation to a mental representation. J.I Saeed (2003) describes a mental representation as a complex and abstract constituent relating an idea to the object in the world (the fancy). The relationship between sense, the expression and the referent was outlined by C.K. Ogden and I.A Richards when they presented the first semiotic triangle in The Meaning of Meaning (1923). In the meaning triangle an expression is thought to provide access to an underlying concept, which in turn refers to an object in the world (referent). This clarifies the existence of a relationship between a word, a sense and its referent.DenotesA distinction between reference and sense is do in On Sense and Reference, G. Frege (1892), revealing their close correlation coefficient whilst it is overly suggesting that the sense of a sign may change without altering the referent. In order to describe how expressions referring to the selfsame(prenominal) object may differ in sense, Frege presents the expressions morning leash and evening star. Both refer to the same object regardless of their different senses. (Morning star= Venus at dawn whilst Evening star= Venus at dusk). Frege describes the reference as the expression having an actual object corresponding to it and the sense of this expression as the concept of the expression.An expression is said to cover its ability to denote because it is associated to an object, in the speakers mind. Hence, reference and denotation are closely related. Referring is the action taken by the speaker in picking out objects in the world while denoting is a property possessed by the expression. A denotation is a constant relationship in a language which is sovereign of word use it is not altered by time, unlike reference.Two major theories also clarify the terms reference and denotation, both theories highlight the relationship between a linguistic expression and a referent. The Denotational possibleness describe s a direct relationship between expressions and objects. The Representational Theory, on the other hand, states that the relationship between the words and objects in the world is mediated by our mental model.To conclude, language is seen as a means of recognizing objects in the world. Reference cannot be the sole idea of the theory of meaning but our semantic knowledge suggests that sense, reference and denotation are vital for our arrest. Speakers of the same language understand each other because they share a basic vocabulary whilst also making sense of what a particular expression is denoting and referring to.4. Outline the main features of Prototype Theory and show how it differs from the upright view of concepts as necessary and sufficient conditions. Give examples to support your answer.Through the years, philosophers, scientists and linguists have thought about how language ties a word to a particular concept, whilst raising arguments about what makes a concept and what is the definition of meaning. One of the most remarkable theories presented in the 1970s was that of Eleanor Rosch and her colleagues.This theory is based on the idea of prototypes, reckon concepts as constructed with the intention of creating a more typic member of a category, but eventually deviating into a less typical and hazier idea. For example in the wring concept red is a more central representative, as opposed to fuchsia.E. Rosch and her co-workers sustained their theory by analysing trends seen in the evidence they obtained during their experiments speakers settled for the more typical members of a category of concepts. This demonstrates how categories are structured some members of a concept may be more prototypical than others, lacking a certain sense of boundary. So, if speakers are asked for an example of fruit, they are expected to come up with more obvious examples, such as apples, rather than plums. This happens since the more outlined ideas, are the first that com e to the speakers mind, because the speaker is more used to these ideas, and feels they are the safer and more accurate.Categories are mostly based upon the speakers knowledge and experience of the real world. These categories are wise to(p) ideas, they are personal ideas (personal construct) and so they are biased. As a result the lexicon (and conceptual categories) allow differ according to the individuals social background and culture.The Prototype Theory is sometimes described as a non-classical theory because, may contrast the principles of the classical view. The classical theory suggested that an object could be correctly referred to by a word only if it has the correct qualifications with regards to characteristics that signify the meaning of the expression or the word. For example, any type of bird is a bird only if it has feathers, has wings, flies and so on If the bird does not have wings, then the label bird in inadequate and does not apply to the concept bird.Central ConceptConsidering, the concept Cat the first idea that comes to a speakers mind would be a small, meowing, four-legged, furry animal, with a tail. Merging out into the fuzzier members of this category, would give not only braggy cats like leopards, lions and tigers, but also Sphinx (furless cats) and Manx (tail less cats). If the classical theory was applicable to this category, a Sphinx would never be considered a cat because it is furless, a Manx wouldnt be considered a cat either because it has no tail, and even tigers, leopards and lions, they would be declined in the cat category for the reason that they do not meow, they roar.In violate of the fact that the classical theory was taken for granted as correct for a long period of time, the breakthrough brought about by the works of E. Rosch brought linguists, philosophers and scientists similarly to a understand the complexity of the meaning of a concept, and how it does not only depend on the entity it is tied to but also t o the individual way by which it is perceived, a true milestone in cognitive language.To what extent would you expect people who speak different languages to display fundamental differences in the way they judge and perceive the world? Support your answer with examples from one particular domain, such as that of colour terms or number words.The question of whether thought differs by culture, due to language differences in cultures has been puzzling philosophers for a long period of time. Does the representation in human thought involve a linguistic element or does it comprise mental images, independent of language? No stable conclusion has ever been taken regarding this situation but philosophers and linguists alike have aimed their studies and observations towards decision a clearer explanation.The Universalist point of view suggests that thought is autonomous from language, whilst the Realist view suggests that language mirrors culture (relativism) and it influences the manner by which we think (determinism). The latter view suggests that pagan differences result in different ways of thinking. Humbolt (19th century philosopher) implies that languages project different perspectives on the world.Two of the most prominent relativist theorists were Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf. E. Sapir proposed that language made part of culture, and therefore is a factor that effects how a speaker thinks We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation. (Sapir, 1929). Whorf further suggested that culture not only ties itself to language but is also related to the way thought is created, paying attention to how grammar may create alternative lines of thought (Whorf, 1956).Speakers of different languages are expected to think differently, this is not only due to their cultural differences but also due to their different language and linguistic abilities. By no means does a simpler language make the speaker simple-minded, but not having words to describe a concept, may contrast that more complex language in terms of expressivity. For example, how can a person think that Christmas comes in celestial latitude, without the words Christmas and December in his mental lexicon? The analysis for the further understanding of how language and thought relate can be done by analysing two speakers of different languages and comparison the way an object is perceived with regard to the vocabulary present within the language of each speaker.Taking the core concept colour and assuming that everyone has the same mental capacity to perceive concepts if a language (L1) fails to provide a word for the colour yellow language does indeed effect perception, only if speakers of L1 will be unable to perceive the concept yellow. Berlin and Kay (1969) studied this relation between thought, culture and language by tackling the core concept of colours compare languages whi lst questioning whether there is a pattern for the understanding of core concepts to all cultures. For example Dani (New Guinea) has two terms for describing colour, Tamil (India) has six terms for colour whilst Lebanese Arabic and English each have up to eleven terms. E. Rosch revised the Berlin and Kay theory by comparing speakers of Dani (having only a black/white system) and English speakers. Rosch studied whether speakers of Dani could still observe different colours and differentiate between them. Results of this study showed that regardless of their linguistic contrasts Dani and English speakers showed the same trends in colour understanding helping Rosch to conclude that colour concepts are universal.Language and thought may be related since certain concepts cannot be thought of unless the thinker or speaker has a language. Therefore, language and culture are seen to go hand in hand with thought.