Biological Kinds and the Causal Theory of Reference
In: Experience and Analysis: Papers of the 27th International Wittgenstein Symposium, J. C. Marek and M. E. Reicher (eds), pp. 58-60, Austrian Ludwig Wittgenstein Society: Kirchberg am Wechsel, 2004
9 Pages Posted: 12 Dec 2007
Abstract
This paper uses an example from biology, the homology concept, to argue that current versions of the causal theory of reference give an incomplete account of reference determination. It is suggested that in addition to samples and stereotypical properties, the scientific use of concepts and the epistemic interests pursued with concepts are important factors in determining the reference of natural kind terms.
Keywords: reference, concepts, natural kind terms
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