Observation sentences revisited

Kemp, G. (2022) Observation sentences revisited. Mind, 131(523), pp. 805-825. (doi: 10.1093/mind/fzaa103)

Abstract

I argue for an alternative to Quine’s conception of observation sentences, one that better satisfies the roles Quine envisages for them, and that otherwise respects Quinean constraints. After reviewing a certain predicament Quine got into in balancing the needs of the intersubjectivity of observation sentences with his notion of the stimulus meaning of an observation sentence, I push for replacing the latter with what I call the ‘stimulus field’ of an observation sentence, a notion that remains ‘proximate’ but is shared between different language users. Throughout, I emphasize the epistemological role of observation sentences.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kemp, Dr Gary
• Authors: Kemp, G.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Philosophy
• Journal Name: Mind
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 0026-4423
• ISSN (Online): 1460-2113
• Published Online: 15 July 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Mind Association
• First Published: First published in Mind 131(523): 805-825
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy