1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910502641603321

Autore

Rimell Nicholas

Titolo

Representational Content and the Objects of Thought / / by Nicholas Rimell

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Singapore : , : Springer Nature Singapore : , : Imprint : Palgrave Macmillan, , 2021

ISBN

9789811635175

981163517X

Edizione

[1st ed. 2021.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (221 pages)

Disciplina

405

Soggetti

Philosophy of mind

Metaphysics

Language and languages - Philosophy

Cognitive psychology

Semiotics

Philosophy of Mind

Philosophy of Language

Cognitive Psychology

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction -- Narrow Representational Content -- Narrow Content and Propositions -- Private Propositions -- Why We Cannot Think about Nonexistents -- Against Necessary Existence -- Conclusion.

Sommario/riassunto

It is commonly held that our beliefs are attitudes towards propositions, and that a belief's truth value (true or false) depends on the truth value of the proposition toward which it is an attitude. From this plausible view Rimell builds a theory of mental representation with two striking features. First, our "I" beliefs have private content-content that only a single subject can entertain. Second, it is impossible to think about nonexistents (e.g., Santa Claus, the fountain of youth). In light of the latter claim, Rimell offers an error theory meant to explain what we are doing when we think we're thinking about nonexistents. To non-specialists, this book serves as a clear, careful introduction to central questions at the intersection of metaphysics, the philosophy of



language, and the philosophy of mind: Are thought and meaning entirely in the head? What's special about first-personal thought and speech? How (if at all) can we think about nonexistents, given that prima facie thinking involves a relation between a subject and an object of thought? To specialists, this book is designed to challenge the standard ways of thinking about these questions and to offer a unified response to them.