Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- .See also symbolic thinking, and concept formation. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- .This section is about linguistic meaning. Topics include: ( ) Definition. ( ) Meaning. ( ) Semantics. ( ) Types of meaning. --- 1/24/2006
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) "Truth" is a relatively simple concept. "Meaning" is a much richer concept than "Truth". (2) Meaning is context dependent. (3) Meaning of an idea in your head vs. Meaning of a sentence that you write to try to describe an idea that is in your head. (4) Types of meaning. Meaning of a sentence. Meaning of a facial expression. Meaning of a dance. Meaning of a picture. (5) What does X mean vs. what does X say or what does X communicate. (6) People often "mean" one thing yet say another thing. --- 6/23/2002
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) All the meanings (definitions) of the word "meaning". (A) Meaning in language. Meaning of letters or sounds, words, sentences, etc. (B) Meaning of objects to people. (C) Meaning of people to people. (D) Meaning of visual arts and music. That is, non-language meaning. (2)(A) Meaning of language. (B) Meaning of symbols. (C) Meaning of anything (what x means to me). (3) Meaning (semantics) is separate from grammar. (4) "What does New York mean to you?", involves emotions, memories, drives, and thoughts. (5) What does a person mean when they scream? Nothing? (6) I'm for a deflationary, reductionist, "no-theory" theory of meaning. (7) Meaning evolves out of sensory input, memory, and association (to stand for). (8)(A) Language, and communication in general, is a trait of social animals. Human language and animal language is an evolutionary adaptation. It is a symbol system (including grammar) where one things stands for another. (B) Types of languages: sign language, semaphore, Morse code, computer languages, body language. (C) Evolution of languages: first single words for specific objects. Then words for abstract groups and classes. Then words for abstract ideas like freedom and liberty. Then groups of words formed into sentences with the use of grammar. (9) One view holds that there is no meaning, only thought. (10) "What does x mean to you" equals "what you think and feel and remember about x". (11) Meaning is a byproduct of thinking beings. People think with language. See Fodor's mentalese. (12) Meaning is a byproduct of intentional beings. Therefore, anything manmade will have meaning to it. (13)(A) Social meaning is a contract or agreement among people. (B) Personal meaning, see Wittgenstein's private language argument. (14) To study language and meaning, study human language evolution, animal communication, child language acquisition, and computer imaging technology such as MRI and CAT scans for language areas of the brain. --- 7/26/1998
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) Language and problems of thought. (2) Language and problems of communication. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) Meaning as when one thing stands for another thing. However, one thing can be associated with many things. Can one thing ever be associated with only one other thing? --- 8/31/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) Meaning is speaker dependent. The meaning of a word or sentence depends on the speaker. Meaning is what the speaker says. (2) Meaning is listener dependent. The meaning of a word or sentence depends on the listener. Meaning is what the listener hears. (3) Meaning is context dependent. (A) Verbal context. The meaning of a word or sentence depends on the surrounding words and sentences. (B) Physical context. The meaning of a word or sentence depends on the physical environment or situation in which the conversation place. --- 12/11/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) One view holds that everything has meaning. Even things you see for the first time, you say "This reminds me of that". Even nonsense words start to take on meaning, especially when they are repeated. (2)(A) The human mind has a natural tendency to ascribe meaning to things. (B) And without minds present nothing has a meaning in and of itself. (3) Meaning systems exist where one thing has meaning only in relation to another. This is an example of meaning holism. (4) The above discussion of meaning is oriented toward the language definition of meaning, which is completely different from the use of meaning as in the sentence "What gives her life meaning?", which refers to meaning as purpose. (5) How meaning (and language) evolved. (A) Nouns. Naming of specific concrete objects. (B) Naming of groups of objects, that is, the abstract notion of classes. (C) Naming of abstract ideas like freedom and liberty, which evolved from specific cases. (D) Verbs, adverbs, adjectives. --- 7/27/1998
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) The meaning of a word. Two views. (A) The meaning of a word is due to a naming or dubbing event (Kripke). (B) The meaning of a word is in its use (Wittgenstein). (2) The meaning of a sentence. (A) The meaning of a sentence is due in part to the meaning of the individual words in the sentence. This is the concept of compositionality. (B) The meaning of a sentence is due in part to grammar. Grammar is the set of rules that determines word order. (C) The meaning of a sentence is due in part to the context surrounding the sentence. --- 12/11/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) The meaning of every single word in the dictionary is disputed. There are always competing definitions for every single word. (2) Therefore, the entire dictionary is disputed. That is a sobering thought. (3) Therefore, the meaning of every sentence in every book ever written is disputed. (4) Its all up for grabs. Go figure. --- 7/18/2002
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) There is no such thing as a dictionary definition, only encyclopedia entries. There is no such thing as encyclopedia entries, only entire libraries. There is no such thing as entire libraries, only everything ever thought and said on a topic. (2) One cannot give a definition of a specific person. One can only describe a person. So it is with words. One cannot define a word. One can only describe a word. --- 8/15/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) Three types of meaning: meaning of ideas, of words, and of physical objects or actions. (2) No two individuals share the exact same meanings for words. (3) Meaning of words constantly changes for individual, as well as for society. (4) No two different words have exactly the same meaning. (5) And no two different actual uses of the same word have the same meaning. Meaning of word changes with context in which it is used. --- 11/08/1993
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1) Words and their meanings are arbitrary. (2) Humans assign meanings to words. (3) Meanings of words can change. (4) Meaning is context dependent. (5) Therefore every use of a word means a slightly different thing. --- 7/30/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1)(A) If a human being (or any thinking being) is present, then everything has meaning. Each thing always refers to, or is associated with, or reminds you of, something else. (B) If no thinking being is present, then nothing has meaning. (2) Reference. Nothing ever refers to, or stands for, something else exactly. There are always minor differences. --- 7/28/1998
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- (1)(A) Objective theories of meaning. Meaning exists apart from individuals. Example, Plato's view of meaning as an ideal form. (B) Subjective theories of meaning. Meaning as intrinsic to the individual. Example, literary theory views of meaning. (2) Meaning is to a degree unique for each person, and meaning is also to some degree shared by people. (3) Meaning is unique for each context and situation. (4) People don't "mean" anything when they speak, as much as they want, hope, and expect, which are all just intentional psychological states. (5) People say "mean" when they actually mean "intend". To say, "I meant to do x, but I did y instead", is an example of "mean" used as "intend". Intending is about intentionality and will. --- 7/26/1998
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Ambiguity and vagueness. (1) Ambiguity: more than one meaning possible. (2) Vagueness: any meaning is not clear. --- 5/30/1998
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Ambiguity and vagueness. Two problems. Calling the same thing by different names (ambiguity?). Calling different things by the same name (vagueness?). --- 11/20/2001
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Ambiguity vs. exactness. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition: (1) Say what it is, say all that it is. (2) Say what it isn't, say all that it isn't. (3) Say its relationships. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. A definition can answer any combo of "x in general" questions. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. A definition is an explanation or example. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. A totally true, totally complete definition is a re-creation of reality. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. Complete definition vs. incomplete definitions. Anything ever thought/written/experienced/acted about x. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. Extended definitions: you can write a book for any word in the dictionary. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. Forming definitions. Getting words (ideas) straight, precise, agreed on, clearer. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. Individual definitions. (1) Most commonly accepted definition and why. (2) Commonly unaccepted definitions and why. (3) Most logical definitions. (4) Most useful definitions and words. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. Majority definition vs. minority definitions. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. Say what it is, and what it is not. Inclusion and exclusion. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definition. Types of definitions. Simple/complex. Short/long. Narrow/broad. Strict definitions/broad definitions. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definitions: the 2 minute, 5 minute, and 10 minute explanation for a thing. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definitions. (1) A good definition. Logically structured. Contains all main/important ideas. Leaves out minor/unimportant ideas. (2) A bad definition: is opposite. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Definitions. To say what something is, you have to say its relationships, and thus describe everything. Therefore to describe an element in a system you must describe the system. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Disputes about x. Disputes about words about x. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Equivalent symbols can replace each other without meaning loss. If any meaning is lost, they are not equivalent. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Expressing emotion vs. expressing thought. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Grammar: refinement of word order adds to meaning. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Language is a code taught by each of us, and learned by each of us. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning consists of ideas represented by symbols. Objects have no meanings in and of themselves. --- 2/4/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning is influenced by tone: timbre, pitch, speed. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning varies (1) From person to person. (2) With tone. (3) In every different sentence used. (4) If same sentence, with every paragraph (written context). --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning, types of. (1) Language meaning. Meaning of natural languages. Meaning of words, sentences and texts. (2) Symbolic meaning. Meaning of symbols generally. Semiotics. Math symbols. Logic symbols. (3) Meaning of music. Meaning of visual images. Gestures. Film. (4) Meaning of sender or author. Meaning of receiver or reader. (5) Meaning of actions by people. Meaning of events of nature. (6) Animal communication. Meaning of animal noises and movements. --- 1/1/2004
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning: definition of a word. Reference: applying a word to an object. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning: what does x mean? Causes and effects (implications). --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning: what you associate it with. (1) Personal meaning. The word means nothing to him. (2) Personal momentary meaning. At that moment the word meant nothing to him. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning. (1) Distinguish between meaning vs. meaningless on the word level and sentence level. (2) Grammatically incorrect sentences vs. semantically meaningless sentences. (3) Meaninglessness within a context of a paragraph, conversation or situation. (4) Meaning vs. truth. You can have meaningful yet untrue sentences. (6) Meaning in ordinary language, logic statements, math statements and computer languages. (7) If a statement is true then it must be meaningful. Meaning is necessary for truth. (8) Truth applies only to statement. The statements can occur in ordinary language, math, logic or computer languages. --- 3/5/2001
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning. Words are symbols of things and ideas. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Meaning. (1) Personal meaning: based on all experiences and/or uses. (2) Group meaning: much narrower, or more general. (3) Universal meaning?: human race? (4) Dictionary meaning. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- New ideas yield new words or word combonations. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Percent of time, and degree of accuracy, you understand other person. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Problem: one word having different definitions for each individual. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Relationship of logic and language. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Relationship of spoken and written language. (1) A spoken word is a sound symbol for a thing. (2) A written word is a visual symbol(s) for a thing (ex. Pictograms). (3) A written word is a visual symbol for a sound (ex. Alphabetic). I.e. a symbol for a symbol. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Semantics. (1) Every word used in every different sentence, and used in every different context (the entire piece), and used in every different situation (time and place), and used by every different speaker, has a slightly different meaning. (2) It has a slightly different meaning as used by speaker. And has a slightly different meaning as heard by listener. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Semantics. (1) Total number of ideas in an society. (2) How ideas are expressed: as single word, multiple words, or multiple phrases. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- So how and how much do we understand ourselves and others? --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Symbolism. Everything is a symbol for every other thing in its class? --- 03/26/1994
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Take two ideas, X and Y. To say, X means Y is the same as saying: (1) X equals Y. (2) X is similar to Y. (less strict). (4) X is associated with Y. (less strict). (4) X causes Y. (5) X means Y to me. All associated memories. --- 2/4/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Thought, word, and object. Triple agreement within a person, and between people, is important for thinking and for communicating. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Tone and meaning. (1) Pitch: high/low, rising/falling. (2) Timbre: rough/smooth. (3) Speed: fast/slow, legato/staccato/obligato? (4) Vowels vs. consonants. (5) Melody vs. rhythm. (6) Cries vs. shouts. (7) (See poetry). --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- True vs. false. Simple vs. complex. Complete vs. incomplete. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Two big problems. (1) For X idea or thing: when person A calls it Y, and person B calls it Z. (2) For X word: when it means Y to person A, and it means Z to person B. (3) These two problems can combine: X person means idea A and says word B, and then Y person hears word B and thinks of idea C. This happens all the time, with everyone, and with every word. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Two problems: One word having many definitions. And one definition having many words. Solution: one word having one meaning. --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Types of meaning. (1) Concrete meaning: when a word refers to an object. (2) Abstract meaning: when a word refers to other words. --- 5/22/2002
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Types of meaning. (1) Meaning of words. (2) Meaning of objects. (3) Meaning of actions. --- 5/22/2002
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Types of meaning. Words need to have meaning or else they are just nonsense words. Objects and actions don't need to have meanings, they only need to have causes. --- 5/22/2002
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Various meanings of the word "is". (1) "A is B" can mean "A is a type of B" (ex. Socrates is a man). (2) "A is B" can also mean "B is an attribute of A" (ex. Snow is white). --- 7/1/2006
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- We define words with other words. In a circle. Holistically. --- 4/20/2001
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- What do we mean when we say "x means y". Do you know what I mean = do you understand me. Understanding = shared meanings. What do we mean when we say "x understands y". --- 12/30/1992
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- What is the meaning of meaning? What is the problem with meaning? How is meaning stored in the brain? --- 2/4/2005
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Words. "And". The problem with commas and "and" is that you can't tell if the final term is related to the second to last term. Examples... --- 12/30/1996
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Words. "Or". Semantic troubles with. (1) The problem with "or" is you can't tell if it means "both" (either or) or "one or the other". --- 12/30/1996
Sociology, communication, language, meaning. --- Words. "Or". Two uses of the word "or". (1) The word "or" used to state a new idea. For example, you can have pie or cake. (2) The word "or" used to restate a concept. For example, she said "bonjour" or "hello". (3) How can you base a language and a mind on that kind of basic conceptual confusion? --- 7/12/2002