Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ My words have meaning, your parrot’s do not. Wittgenstein explains

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

For me the key message of Wittegenstein's slogan 'meaning is use' is that the meaning of a word or sentence is not inherent in the word or sentence, but rather depends entirely on how the reader or listener regards, interprets or recognizes that word or phrase. We might say, defining this externally, that meaning is determined by context or community agreement. This is the approach taken in this article. And there's an element of truth to that. But there is also an element of infinite regress; at some point we have to ask what a word means for me and at that point the externally defined criteria must give way to a story about experience and recognition..

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Apr 20, 2024 03:17 a.m.

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