2015/08/07 by Rachel Goodman · 1 citation
Psychology · Arts and Humanities · Physics and Astronomy · #Philosophy and Theoretical Science #Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics #Quantum Mechanics and Applications
paper · doi:10.1093/pq/pqv074
This paper has a narrow and a broader target. The narrow target is a particular version of what I call the <b>mental-files conception of singular thought</b> (MFC), proposed by Robin Jeshion, and known as <b>cognitivism</b>. The broader target is the MFC in general. I give an argument against Jeshion's view, which gives us preliminary reason to reject the MFC more broadly. I argue Jeshion's theory of singular thought should be rejected because the central connection she makes between <b>significance</b> and <b>singularity</b> does not hold. However, my argument grants Jeshion's claim that there is a connection between <b>significance</b> and <b>file-thinking</b> (for some kinds of files). The upshot is not only that we have reason to reject Jeshion's <b>significance constraint</b> on singular thought, but that we have reason to question the connection made by MFC proponents between file-thinking and singularity.