Cognition by description

Authors

  • John Bolender Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/fsu.2016.172.07

Abstract

One important aspect of the faculty of language, as understood in generative grammar, is its capacity to form operator-variable structures. Such structures are crucial for definite descriptions, as understood in the broadly Russellian tradition. The paper proposes a research program for exploring the relation between the uniquely human ability for “knowledge” (more properly, cognition) by description and the capacity of the language faculty to produce operator- variable structures.

Keywords: Merge, Internal Merge, cognition by description, theory of descriptions, knowledge by description, humaniqueness, language evolution, the language faculty.

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Published

2016-07-02

How to Cite

BOLENDER, J. Cognition by description. Filosofia Unisinos / Unisinos Journal of Philosophy, São Leopoldo, v. 17, n. 2, p. 136–143, 2016. DOI: 10.4013/fsu.2016.172.07. Disponível em: https://revistas.unisinos.br/index.php/filosofia/article/view/fsu.2016.172.07. Acesso em: 17 sep. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2016): May/August

Section

Philosophy South

License

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