Directival Theory of Meaning by Paweł Grabarczyk

Author:Paweł Grabarczyk
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030187835
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

4.6 Conclusion

As I said at the beginning of this chapter, comparing the DTM with some similar well-known theories was important because it allows the readers to see some of the unique features of the DTM in a stronger light. Additionally, we were able to learn some things we can now discuss in the next chapter (along with the problems we were left with after Chap. 3). We learned from de Saussure that items in the network created by the language could be described in a purely functional fashion. Additionally, we were able to see that theories that are unable to track changes in languages can still function as theories of “snapshots” of language. Thanks to Sellars, we realized that the DTM lacks output rules and that it assumes that language can function in a completely non-reflexive community. One more thing that his theory made us realize is that the DTM should explain how it incorporates the normativity of language. Seeing the similarity to Quine, we realized that we have to see whether the DTM results in indeterminacy of translation and reference. Additionally, we were able to point out that the DTM should not be treated as a theory of radical translation. We were also reminded that the semantician who creates the DTM has to be able to recognize the acts of acceptance and rejection of sentences, otherwise she will be unable to evaluate the users in semantic trials. In addition, comparing the DTM with Quine’s account lets us show one crucial point about the DTM: it does not favour any types of directives, as expressions that figure only in axiomatic and deductive directives can be as meaningful as expressions that figure in empirical directives. The last theory we compared to the DTM – the theory of Donald Davidson – helped us to emphasize the difference between a theory that looks at language from the point of view of avoidance of misunderstanding and a theory that looks at it from the perspective of maximization of understanding. This problem relates to the meaning extrapolation problem we saw in Chap. 3. Davidson maximized the scope of the theory of meaning to breaking point, where it even covers such non-standard cases as malapropism. The DTM can be said to be too minimalistic in its scope (as it does not explain the meaning of many compound expressions). Bearing all of these problems and characteristic features of the DTM in mind, we are now ready for the next step: modification of the original theory in such a way as to embrace the parts we believe are valuable and solve the problems with which the original theory struggled.

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