Mind and Language 36 (1):158-185 (2021)
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Abstract |
Most theories of concepts take concepts to be structured bodies of information used in categorization and inference. This paper argues for a version of atomism, on which concepts are unstructured symbols. However, traditional Fodorian atomism is falsified by polysemy and fails to provide an account of how concepts figure in cognition. This paper argues that concepts are generative pointers, that is, unstructured symbols that point to memory locations where cognitively useful bodies of information are stored and can be deployed to resolve polysemy. The notion of generative pointers allows for unresolved ambiguity in thought and provides a basis for conceptual engineering.
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Keywords | atomism, compositionality, concepts, essentialism, memory, pointers, polysemy |
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DOI | 10.1111/mila.12328 |
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References found in this work BETA
Connectionism and Cognitive Architecture: A Critical Analysis.Jerry A. Fodor & Zenon W. Pylyshyn - 1988 - Cognition 28 (1-2):3-71.
Escaping the Natural Attitude About Gender.Robin Dembroff - 2021 - Philosophical Studies 178 (3):983-1003.
Methodological Solipsism Considered as a Research Strategy in Cognitive Psychology.Jerry A. Fodor - 1979 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3 (1):63-73.
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Citations of this work BETA
The Modularity of the Motor System.Myrto Mylopoulos - 2021 - Philosophical Explorations 24 (3):376-393.
The Analytic/Synthetic Distinction.Georges Rey - 2003 - In Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University.
View all 10 citations / Add more citations
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