Do Inferential Roles Compose?
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23211385 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mark Mccullagh (0000-0003-0804-6495, University of Guelph, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2003 |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 431-438 |
| Publication date | 2003-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | dialectica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0012-2017 • E-ISSN: 1746-8361 |
| Publisher | Verein philosophie.ch (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1746-8361.2003.tb00282.x |
| OpenAlex | W2061231795 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
Jerry Fodor and Ernie Lepore have argued that inferential roles are not compositional.It is unclear, however, whether the theories at which they aim their objection are obliged to meet the strong compositionality requirement they have in mind.But even if that requirement is accepted, the data they adduce can in fact be derived from an inferential-role theory that meets it.I explain this in terms of Robert Brandom's substitutional conception of inferential roles.The several objections the proposal invites are worth discussing because they rest, I think, on neglect of some interesting and important facts about inferential roles.Whether Fodor's and Lepore's strong compositionality requirement is justified or not, then, inferential-role theories do not have the problem that they claim to have identified.Jerry Fodor and Ernie Lepore have argued -"frequently, loudly, and in many places" 1that inferential roles are not compositional.If they are right then things look grim for any semantic theory that incorporates a notion of inferential role.One problem with their argument is that it is unclear whether the theories at which they aim their objection are obliged to meet the strong compositionality requirement they have in mind.But even if that requirement is accepted, the data they adduce can in fact be derived from an inferential-role theory thats meets it.I explain this in terms of Robert Brandom's (1994) substitutional conception of inferential roles.The several objections the proposal invites are worth discussing because they rest, I think, on neglect of some interesting and important facts about inferential roles.Whether Fodor's and Lepore's strong compositionality requirement is justified or not, then, inferential-role theories do not have the problem that they claim to have identified. The objectionFodor and Lepore support their objection on examples such as the following.Suppose... that you happen to think that brown cows are dangerous; then it's part of the inferential role of "brown cow" for you that it does (or can) figure in inferences of the form "brown cow → dangerous."But, at first blush anyhow, this fact about the inferential role of "brown cow" doesn't seem to derive from facts about the inferential roles of its constituents in the way that, for example, the validity of inferences like "brown cow → brown animal" or "brown cow → not green cow"
Epistemology · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Computer Science · Philosophical Ethics and Theory · Philosophy · Philosophy and Theoretical Science
| Highly cited | No |
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