Delia Belleri (CSIC, Madrid) "Conceptual Engineering, Language Use, and the Neutral Implementation Challenge"
8 October from 18:15 to 19:45 in room Phil 204 (Bâtiment des philosophes, Bd des Philosophes 22).
Abstract
Conceptual engineering projects have been targeted by the so-called “implementation challenge”, which calls for an account of how it is possible to change meanings, given that we have no control over the complex ways in which meaning supervenes (for example) on patterns of use. In the first part of this talk, this supervenience-based formulation of the challenge is questioned, and a new formulation is proposed, which strives to be as metasemantically neutral as possible. The new challenge is called “the uptake problem”, and its theoretical advantages are defended over those of the supervenience-based version. In the second part of the talk, a response to the uptake problem is outlined. This will involve reflecting on the notion of control, and especially on aspects that pertain to its gradability and relativity to an agent’s goals. The aim is to put into proper perspective, and ultimately question, the threat posed by (this version of) the implementation challenge.
19 November 2024 - Angela Martin (UniFR)
3 December 2024 - Rebecca Wallbank (UniGE)
18 February 2024 - David Charles (Yale)
11 March 2024 - Enrico Terrone (Turin)
8 April 2024 - Claus Beisbart (Bern)
29 April 2024 - Damiano Costa (Lugano)