The Data

There are certain things "all" philosophers of language agree are true and relevant to meaning. They are what any theory of meaning must account for.

• Some physical entities are meaningful.
• Similar physical entities are not meaningful.
• Distinct physical entities can be synonymous.
• Single physical entities can be ambiguous or context dependent.
• Normal humans other than infants can rapidly and accurately determine facts like those above.
• Merely verbal disagreements are possible.
• It is possible to "talk past one another."

-- ShaughanLavine - 02 Feb 2006