Journal of Philosophical Investigations

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.A. in Philosophy-Logics, Allameh Tabatabaei University

2 Researcher at Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM)

Abstract

In this paper, we will discuss what is called “Manifestation Challenge” to semantic realism, which was originally developed by Michael Dummett and has been further refined by Crispin Wright. According to this challenge, semantic realism has to meet the requirement that knowledge of meaning must be publically manifested in linguistic behaviour. In this regard, we will introduce and evaluate John McDowell’s response to this anti-realistic challenge, which was put forward to show that the challenge cannot undermine realism. According to McDowell, knowledge of undecidable sentences’ truth-conditions can be properly manifested in our ordinary practice of asserting such sentences under certain circumstances, and any further requirement will be redundant. Wright’s further objection to McDowell’s response will be also discussed and it will be argued that this objection fails to raise any serious problem for McDowell’s response and that it is an implausible objection in general.

Highlights

-    Black, M. & Geach, P. (1960). Translations from the Philosophical Writings of Gottlob Frege. London: Basil Blackwell.

-    Byrne, D. (2005). Compositionality and the Manifestation Challenge. Synthese, 144: 101–136.

-    Devitt, M. (1983). Dummett’s Anti-Realism. The Journal of Philosophy, 80(2): 73-99.

-    Devitt, M. (1997). Realism and Truth. Cambridge: Harvard UP.

-    Dummett, M. (1959). Truth. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 59: 141-62. Reprinted in Dummett (1978), pp.1-24, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1963). Realism. In Dummett (1978), pp.145-165.

-    Dummett, M. (1969). The Reality of the Past. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 69: 239-58. Reprinted in Dummett (1978), pp.358- 374, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1973a). Frege: Philosophy of Language. London: Duckworth

-    Dummett, M. (1973b). The Philosophical Basis of Intuitionistic Logic. In H. E, Rose and 1. C. Shepherdson (eds.), Logic Colloquium, (pp.5–40). Amsterdam: North Holland. Reprinted in Dummett (1978), pp.215-247, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1975). What is a Theory of Meaning?. In S. Guttenplan (ed.), Mind and Language, (pp.97-138). Oxford: Oxford UP. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.1-33, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1976). What Is a Theory of Meaning? (II). In G Evans and J. McDowell (eds.), Truth and Meaning, (pp.67-137). Oxford: Oxford UP. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a). pp.34-93, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1978). Truth and Other Enigmas. Oxford: Oxford UP.

-    Dummett, M. (1979). What does the Appeal to Use Do for the Theory of Meaning?. In A. Margalit (ed.), Meaning and Use, (pp.123-35). Dordrecht: Reidel. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.106-116, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1981a). The Interpretation of Frege's Philosophy. London: Duckworth.

-    Dummett, M. (1981b). Frege and Wittgenstein. In I. Block (ed.), Perspectives on the Philosophy of Wittgenstein, (pp.31–42). Oxford: Blackwell. Reprinted in Dummett (1991a), pp.237-248, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1989). Language and Communication. In A. George (ed.), Reflections on Chomsky, (pp.192-212). Oxford: Blackwell. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.166-187, to which page references apply.

-    Dummett, M. (1991a). Frege and Other Philosophers. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

-    Dummett, M. (1991b). Frege: Philosophy of Mathematics. London: Duckworth.

-    Dummett, M. (1991c). The Logical Basis of Metaphysics. London: Duckworth.

-    Dummett, M. (1993a). The Seas of Language. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

-    Dummett, M. (1993b). What Do I Know When I Know a Language?. Lecture separately published by Stockholm University, 1978. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.94–105, to which page references apply.

-    Frege, G. (1956). The Thought: A Logical Inquiry. Mind, New Series, 65(259): 289-311.

-    Frege, G. (1892). On Sense and Reference. Zeitschrift für Philosophie und philosophische Kritik, 100: 25-50. Reprinted in Black & Geach (1960), pp.56-78, to which page references apply.

-    Gifford, M. L. (2017). Exploring Realism and Truth (Doctoral Thesis). State University of New York.

-    Malcolm, N. (1986). Nothing is Hidden: Wittgenstein's Criticism of His Early Thought. Oxford: Blackwell.

-    McDowell, J. (1977). On the Sense and Reference of a Proper Name. Mind, New Series, 86(342): 159-185. 

-    McDowell, J. (1981). Anti-Realism and the Epistemology of Understanding. In H. Parrot & J. Bourveresse (eds.), Meaning and Understanding, (pp.225-48). Berlin: de Gruyter. Reprinted in McDowell (1998), pp.314-343, to which page references apply.

-    McDowell, J. (1987). In Defence of Modesty. In B. Taylor (ed.), Michael Dummett: Contributions to Philosophy, (pp.59-80). Dordrecht: Nijhoff. Reprinted in McDowell (1998), pp.87-1, to which page references apply.

-    McDowell, J. (1989). Mathematical Platonism and Dummettian Anti-Realism. In McDowell (1998), pp.344-365.

-    McDowell, J. (1998). Meaning, Knowledge and Reality. Cambridge: Harvard UP.

-    Miller, A. (2002). What Is the Manifestation Argument?. Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, 83: 352-382.

-    Miller, A. (2003a). The Significance of Semantic Realism. Synthese, 136: 191-217.

-    Miller, A. (2003b). What is the Acquisition Argument?. In Alex Barber (ed.) Epistemology of Language (Oxford UP, 2003).

-    Miller, A. (2007). Philosophy of Language. Routledge. Second edition.

-    Thornton, Tim (2004). John McDowell. McGill-Queen's University Press.

-    Wittgenstein, L. (1922). Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Translated by C. K Ogden. Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc.

-    Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical Investigations. Edited by G. E. M. Anscombe. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

-    Wright, C. (1989). Misconstruals Made Manifest. Midwest Studies in Philosophy, 14(1): 48-67. Reprinted in Wright (1993), pp.239-261, to which page references apply.

-    Wright, C. (1993). Realism, Meaning and Truth. Oxford: Blackwell.

-    Wright, C. (2001a). The Problem of Self-Knowledge (II). In Wright (2001b), pp.345-374.

-    Wright, C. (2001b). Rails to Infinity. Cambridge: Harvard UP.

Keywords

-    Black, M. & Geach, P. (1960). Translations from the Philosophical Writings of Gottlob Frege. London: Basil Blackwell.
-    Byrne, D. (2005). Compositionality and the Manifestation Challenge. Synthese, 144: 101–136.
-    Devitt, M. (1983). Dummett’s Anti-Realism. The Journal of Philosophy, 80(2): 73-99.
-    Devitt, M. (1997). Realism and Truth. Cambridge: Harvard UP.
-    Dummett, M. (1959). Truth. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 59: 141-62. Reprinted in Dummett (1978), pp.1-24, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1963). Realism. In Dummett (1978), pp.145-165.
-    Dummett, M. (1969). The Reality of the Past. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 69: 239-58. Reprinted in Dummett (1978), pp.358- 374, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1973a). Frege: Philosophy of Language. London: Duckworth
-    Dummett, M. (1973b). The Philosophical Basis of Intuitionistic Logic. In H. E, Rose and 1. C. Shepherdson (eds.), Logic Colloquium, (pp.5–40). Amsterdam: North Holland. Reprinted in Dummett (1978), pp.215-247, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1975). What is a Theory of Meaning?. In S. Guttenplan (ed.), Mind and Language, (pp.97-138). Oxford: Oxford UP. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.1-33, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1976). What Is a Theory of Meaning? (II). In G Evans and J. McDowell (eds.), Truth and Meaning, (pp.67-137). Oxford: Oxford UP. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a). pp.34-93, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1978). Truth and Other Enigmas. Oxford: Oxford UP.
-    Dummett, M. (1979). What does the Appeal to Use Do for the Theory of Meaning?. In A. Margalit (ed.), Meaning and Use, (pp.123-35). Dordrecht: Reidel. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.106-116, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1981a). The Interpretation of Frege's Philosophy. London: Duckworth.
-    Dummett, M. (1981b). Frege and Wittgenstein. In I. Block (ed.), Perspectives on the Philosophy of Wittgenstein, (pp.31–42). Oxford: Blackwell. Reprinted in Dummett (1991a), pp.237-248, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1989). Language and Communication. In A. George (ed.), Reflections on Chomsky, (pp.192-212). Oxford: Blackwell. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.166-187, to which page references apply.
-    Dummett, M. (1991a). Frege and Other Philosophers. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
-    Dummett, M. (1991b). Frege: Philosophy of Mathematics. London: Duckworth.
-    Dummett, M. (1991c). The Logical Basis of Metaphysics. London: Duckworth.
-    Dummett, M. (1993a). The Seas of Language. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
-    Dummett, M. (1993b). What Do I Know When I Know a Language?. Lecture separately published by Stockholm University, 1978. Reprinted in Dummett (1993a), pp.94–105, to which page references apply.
-    Frege, G. (1956). The Thought: A Logical Inquiry. Mind, New Series, 65(259): 289-311.
-    Frege, G. (1892). On Sense and Reference. Zeitschrift für Philosophie und philosophische Kritik, 100: 25-50. Reprinted in Black & Geach (1960), pp.56-78, to which page references apply.
-    Gifford, M. L. (2017). Exploring Realism and Truth (Doctoral Thesis). State University of New York.
-    Malcolm, N. (1986). Nothing is Hidden: Wittgenstein's Criticism of His Early Thought. Oxford: Blackwell.
-    McDowell, J. (1977). On the Sense and Reference of a Proper Name. Mind, New Series, 86(342): 159-185. 
-    McDowell, J. (1981). Anti-Realism and the Epistemology of Understanding. In H. Parrot & J. Bourveresse (eds.), Meaning and Understanding, (pp.225-48). Berlin: de Gruyter. Reprinted in McDowell (1998), pp.314-343, to which page references apply.
-    McDowell, J. (1987). In Defence of Modesty. In B. Taylor (ed.), Michael Dummett: Contributions to Philosophy, (pp.59-80). Dordrecht: Nijhoff. Reprinted in McDowell (1998), pp.87-1, to which page references apply.
-    McDowell, J. (1989). Mathematical Platonism and Dummettian Anti-Realism. In McDowell (1998), pp.344-365.
-    McDowell, J. (1998). Meaning, Knowledge and Reality. Cambridge: Harvard UP.
-    Miller, A. (2002). What Is the Manifestation Argument?. Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, 83: 352-382.
-    Miller, A. (2003a). The Significance of Semantic Realism. Synthese, 136: 191-217.
-    Miller, A. (2003b). What is the Acquisition Argument?. In Alex Barber (ed.) Epistemology of Language (Oxford UP, 2003).
-    Miller, A. (2007). Philosophy of Language. Routledge. Second edition.
-    Thornton, Tim (2004). John McDowell. McGill-Queen's University Press.
-    Wittgenstein, L. (1922). Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Translated by C. K Ogden. Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc.
-    Wittgenstein, L. (1953). Philosophical Investigations. Edited by G. E. M. Anscombe. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
-    Wright, C. (1989). Misconstruals Made Manifest. Midwest Studies in Philosophy, 14(1): 48-67. Reprinted in Wright (1993), pp.239-261, to which page references apply.
-    Wright, C. (1993). Realism, Meaning and Truth. Oxford: Blackwell.
-    Wright, C. (2001a). The Problem of Self-Knowledge (II). In Wright (2001b), pp.345-374.
-    Wright, C. (2001b). Rails to Infinity. Cambridge: Harvard UP.
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