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    Carmelics

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    Direct reference requires a causal-perceptual link betwee... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→An agent can think directly about objects the agent has not perceived, provided the agent stands in an appropriate communicative chain that traces back to perceptions of that object by other agents in the chain.

    Direct reference requires a causal-perceptual link between the thinker and the object, not merely a social-linguistic chain (Fodor, Devitt).

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
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    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Thoughts about historical figures we never perceived (Napoleon) seem to refer successfully, suggesting social chains alone suffice for reference.
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    • 2.We can think about objects through purely descriptive means without causal contact, yet still meaningfully refer to them.
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    • 3.The causal-perceptual requirement makes reference to abstract objects, theoretical entities, and future events impossible, which contradicts our practices.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.Social-linguistic chains require some initial causal-perceptual grounding; otherwise, names just float free with no determinate reference.
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    • 2.The thought-experiment of 'Twin Earth' shows that sharing all internal states plus language-use doesn't guarantee same reference without causal history.
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    • 3.Purely descriptive reference risks failures like referring to non-existent objects, whereas causal links provide robust, externalist constraints.
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    Connections

    2 topics

    Consciousness & Mind1 linkedPhilosophy of Language1 linked

    Related

    An agent can think directly about objects the agent has not perceived, provided ...Purely descriptive reference risks failures like referring to non-existent objec...Social-linguistic chains require some initial causal-perceptual grounding; other...The causal-perceptual requirement makes reference to abstract objects, theoretic...
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    The thought-experiment of 'Twin Earth' shows that sharing all internal states pl...Thoughts about historical figures we never perceived (Napoleon) seem to refer su...We can think about objects through purely descriptive means without causal conta...

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    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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