Theories of Meaning

1
Theories of Meaning

• Referential Theory of Meaning
• Verification Theory.
• Use Theory of Meaning
• Speech-act Theory of Meaning
• Hermeneutic Theory of Meaning
• Post-Modern Approach

2
Theories of Meaning (Contd.)

• Freudian Theory of Meaning
• Emotive Theory of Meaning
• Prescriptive Theory of Meaning.
• Spota Theory of Meaning
• Literal vrs Metaphoric Meaning
• Meta-message

3
Referential Theory

• We mean what we say.
• Word designates objects.
• Facts are relation between objects.
• Sentences capture the relations of objects
• A true statement corresponds to facts.

4
Verification Theory

• Logical Positivists Account Verification Theory
  of Meaning.
• There are two types of sentences Formal and
  Empirical.
• Formal sentences have meaning because of the
  definitions of the terms.
• The meaning of Empirical sentences lie in their
  verification.

5
Verification Theory (con)

• Verification-in principle, in practice.
• Meaning lies in its truth-condition.
• Falsifiability Criterion of Meaning.

6
Use Theory

• Meaning of a word lies in its Use
• Conventions and traditions play an important role
  (e.g. pankaja, akalmand)
• Not every word stands for objects.
• World of fiction, ethics, dance, music,
  aesthetics etc. do not have referents.

7
Speech-Act Theory

• Speaking is a performance
• In speaking we do certain things, e.g., promise,
  request, question, assertion etc.
• Locutions, Illocutions and Perlocutions

8
Hermeneutic Theory

• Meaning lies in Interpretation.
• Speech is a part of Discourse.
• What comes first and what comes later would
  matter.
• Customs/traditions help us in Interpretation.
• There can be radical Interpretation

9
Post-Modern Approach

• The Author Is Dead
• Everything is a Text.
• Interpretation/Re-interpretation is inevitable.
• You never read the same text twice the same way.

10
Freudian Theory

• Human Mind is Complex.
• You may not know your own intention.
• Sub-conscious intention can interfere.
• Strong Unfulfilled desires are repressed.
• Deconstruction.

11
Emotive Theory

• Emotion attached to the sentence is the meaning.
• Children are lovely means that you have
  favorable emotion towards children. You have
  favorable attitude towards them.
• Truth is beauty expresses certain attitude
  towards reality.

12
Emotive Theory (Contd..)

• Emotions could be negative or positive.
• A gift is meaningful if you love it.
• You would like to avoid an occasion where you
  feel uncomfortable.
• You are sentimentally attached to the belongings
  of your parents.

13
Prescriptive Theory

• When we claim that health is good, we recommend
  that good health be achieved.
• When we say that smoking bad, we mean that we
  condemn smoking.

14
Spota Theory

• Words and sentences have their power.
• Meaning is this power.
• Word meaning/Sentence meaning.
• Meaning is a whole.
• E.g. Touch me not is a medicinal plant grown in
  my garden.

15
Literal vrs Metaphoric Meaning

• A Metaphor cuts across the categories
• Some ideas can be expressed only through
  metaphors
• Turia state in Upanisad is compared to deep sleep
  state.
• Sub-atomic structure to solar system.
• Human nature to traits of animals and birds.
• Meta-Message.

16
Open-Ended Meta-Message

• Communication is necessarily incomplete.
• What is unsaid is left open.
• There is silence before the speech and the speech
  is terminated in silence.
• Past overshadows the present and expectation
  interferes with the perception of the present.
• People know how to read between the lines.
• Un-intended signals.