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It is not the case that A thermometer reliably indicates temperature without meaning anything, demonstrating that reliable correlation is insufficient for semantic content.
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Reasons For
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1.
The thermometer's reading is meaningful precisely because users consistently interpret it as representing temperature in a stable convention.
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2.
If reliable correlation were insufficient for content, many neural states and natural signs wouldn't constitute thoughts—an implausible result.
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3.
The distinction between the thermometer and meaningful signs is pragmatic (user intention) rather than reflecting something intrinsic to correlation itself.
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Reasons Against
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Reason against
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1.
Semantic content requires intentionality or representational purpose; thermometers lack any internal states directed toward meaning-making.
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2.
A thermometer's reliability depends on physical causation alone, not on interpretation conventions that constitute linguistic meaning.
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3.
Meaning requires potential for misrepresentation; thermometers cannot meaningfully 'lie' about temperature in the way words can.
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