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Cognitive Dynamics and Indexicals
Author(s) -
Prosser Simon
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
mind and language
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.905
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1468-0017
pISSN - 0268-1064
DOI - 10.1111/j.0268-1064.2005.00292.x
Subject(s) - indexicality , context (archaeology) , linguistics , presentation (obstetrics) , philosophy , term (time) , epistemology , mode (computer interface) , cognitive science , psychology , computer science , history , physics , medicine , archaeology , quantum mechanics , radiology , operating system
Frege held that indexical thoughts could be retained through changes of context that required a change of indexical term. I argue that Frege was partially right in that a singular mode of presentation can be retained through changes of indexical. There must, however, be a further mode of presentation that changes when the indexical term changes. This suggests that indexicals should be regarded as complex demonstratives; a change of indexical term is like a change between ‘that φ’ and ‘that ψ’, where ‘φ’ and ‘ψ’ pick out relational properties that may nonetheless be conceived of by the thinker as intrinsic.