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    If 'water' means H2O even for speakers ignorant of chemis... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Internalism about meaning provides a better account of expressions like 'line' than the view that meanings determine extensions.

    If 'water' means H2O even for speakers ignorant of chemistry, then meanings are partly constituted by external factors, not internal instructions alone.

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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Twin Earth thought experiments show identical internal states can have different referents based on external environment alone.
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    • 2.Speakers correctly use 'water' to refer to H2O despite being entirely ignorant of its chemical composition.
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    • 3.Meaning cannot be fully constituted by internal mental content if that content is compatible with multiple external referents.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.Internal instructions (concepts, associations, usage rules) fully determine what speakers mean by 'water' regardless of environment.
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    • 2.External reference relations are effects of meaning, not constitutive of it—meaning generates reference, not vice versa.
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    • 3.Ignorant speakers don't truly mean H2O specifically; they mean 'whatever stuff experts call water,' which is internally determined.
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    External reference relations are effects of meaning, not constitutive of it—mean...Ignorant speakers don't truly mean H2O specifically; they mean 'whatever stuff e...Internal instructions (concepts, associations, usage rules) fully determine what...Internalism about meaning provides a better account of expressions like 'line' t...
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    Meaning cannot be fully constituted by internal mental content if that content i...Speakers correctly use 'water' to refer to H2O despite being entirely ignorant o...Twin Earth thought experiments show identical internal states can have different...

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