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  • Cz
    • Centre for the study of language, mind and society
    at the Institute of Philosophy and Social Sciences of Faculty
    of Arts University of Hradec Králové

    Indrek Reiland: Language as Expression of Thought

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    Invited talk
    October 5, 2022; 14:05-15:45
    Building B, FF UHK, Room BSM2
    Indrek Reiland
    (University of Vienna)

     

    Language as Expression of Thought

     

    ABSTRACT: In his famous paper “Language as Thought and as Communication” Sellars argued (perhaps implicitly against Grice) that language should primarily be viewed as a form of expression of conceptual thought and not as a vehicle for communication (Sellars 1969). However, he also suggested understanding expression of thought and thought itself in a way which makes language prior to thought. This presents a package of answers to two separate questions. First, whether we can understand language and linguistic meaning in expressive, non-communicative terms (Sellars) or whether they’re somehow essentially communicative or audience-directed (Grice, Davidson)? Second, whether language is prior to conceptual thought and can explain it (Sellars), whether conceptual thought is prior to language and can explain it (Grice, Lewis), or whether they’re somehow on a par (Davidson)?

    In this talk, I will present a view which takes public language as it exists to be conventionally expressive of thought and thus not essentially communicative, and explore whether and in what sense it is committed to taking some conceptual thought to be prior to language and involved in the explanation of it.