Andreas Frenzel
LMU (MCMP)
In this article, I will take a look at the implementation problem of conceptual engineering as proposed by Max Deutsch, which consists in the idea that conceptual engineers are unable to change the semantic meaning of a term and that merely changing the speaker’s meaning is trivial. I will start by questioning Deutsch’s characterization of the relationship between semantic and speaker’s meaning, arguing that they are dependent on one another, so that a change in the speaker’s meaning can result in a change in the semantic meaning, if it is widespread and persistent enough.
I will further argue that a change in speaker’s meaning through the stipulative addition of concepts is useful for philosophy, since fixing the speaker’s meaning of a term allows philosophers to precisely determine the subject of a dispute and to avoid talking past each other. Furthermore, it also helps in the solution of philosophical problems involving imprecise ordinary concepts, by giving philosophers a precise approximation to work with, which is often required to arrive at a solution to the problem. By solving the problem for various precise approximations of an ordinary concept, one might be able to gain further insight into that concept and into the problem itself.
Lastly, I will argue against Deutsch’s notion of natural kinds and against his idea that semantic change is really due to the discovery of the true meaning of a concept. This view does not take into account the variety of different meanings that can be understood within a language community, and would seemingly lead to the unacceptable conclusion that most speakers understand concepts incorrectly when they do not understand them in the most sophisticated, precise, and recent ways as determined by formal disciplines such as science. I will instead argue for a conceptual pluralism that sees ordinary concepts as being capable of multiple different analyses, where the choice between them is informed by practical considerations.
Chair: Szymon Sapalski
Time: September 6th, 16:00-16:30
Location: SR 1.006
SOPhiA 2026 