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Semantics
• Semantics• 意味論
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• Semantics• 14 chapters• Please read them!• Look at the notes• The questions in the notes are the same as the
test!
Password (probably unnecessary)
imi
IMI
• In• My• Imagination
Does meaning exist?
• Yes• No• Maybe
Think of an example
John kicked the ball.
What does that mean?
• “John” refers to a specific person
For example -- him
• “kicked” means ….• Hit with foot
the ball
• “the”• Means we have some ball in mind• From context
ball
• What is “ball”?• And what isn’t “ball”?
this
Or this
Or this
This?
This??
John kicked the ball.
• The meaning• is• in your imagination
What about the word “ball”
• It can be written on paper• It can be spoken• It can be understood• If it can be understood …• Does it exist in your mind?
Say the word IS in your mind/brain …
• What information does it hold?• What is this information like?• For example “ball”• Is round• or• Is egg shaped
Only one is a ball
Ball?
How about soccer ball?
Soccer ball
Soccer ball
Heavy, leather soccer ball
So what about “soccer ball”
• Is round• Contains air• Has skin (leather or plastic or other synthetic
material)
What is the connection between soccer ball and round?
• Is round• Has_shape round
• So what is round?
Concepts
• Round is a concept• Air is a concept
Concepts
• Has_shape is also a kind of concept?• Has_shape somehow connects ball and round
Do these concepts really exist?
• Does the concept round exist anywhere?• Is it just in our heads?• Is it just created by words and thoughts?• Very very very old philosophical questions
Plato and Aristotle
Plato – not stupid
Plato
• Properties (concepts)• Qualities (property)• Relations (property)• Qualities: round, human, red, female etc• Relations: • is_the_daughter_of• Has_shape• Contains• etc
Plato
• Said these properties are real• And they exist independent of actual real
things• So roundness exists somewhere• It is not just connected to actual objects
Aristotle – not stupid
Aristotle
• Said these properties are real• But they only exist because of actual things in
the real world• They don’t exist anywhere else• Except maybe in our imagination
William of Ockham – not stupid
William of Ockham
• Said these properties do NOT exist• Only the actual individual things exist• These properties are just NAMES for things• So they only exist because of words and our
imagination
Immanuel Kant – not stupid
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel – not stupid
Kant and Hegel
• Said these properties are not real• Just in the mind• Just tools for thinking
William James – not stupid
William James
• Said these properties are not real• They are just tools• That we can use to know the truth• Imaginary tools to know the truth!!• Imaginary tools to know the truth!!• Imaginary tools to know the truth!!• Wow!!!!
• I’m impressed!!!!!!
So who knows the answer?
• Nobody• So have fun …. …. thinking for yourself.
What about in modern Semantics?
• Modern Semantics doesn’t have the answers either.
• But be aware of some background issues.
Mind/brain as a computer
Mind/brain as a computer
• Thought is just electrical activity• No relation to outside the brain• Thought must be like computer language
Make a sentence
• How did that sentence get in your head?• What came before the sentence?
• I am speaking now• I am saying sentences• I can make sentences in my head• But what are the thoughts like BEFORE the
sentence?
Is it like computer code?
Or something completely different?
Maybe our heads are more like radios?
Or a computer with wifi
Who knows?
• Not me• Or Plato• Or Aristotle• Kant• Hegel• Williams• Or anyone
• So feel free … …. to use your imagination.Because it is ALL …InMyImagination
What does meaning look like?
Like this?
Something in the brain
But what?
How much do we know?
Basically nothing
Or nothing
Scientists cannot explain …
… what meaning looks like in the brain
Models of meaning
• Scientists cannot explain even the basics• … how does meaning look in the brain?• We don’t know
• We’re just going to think about it