Who Says What the Words Say?

Abstract

Currently, cognitive psychology assumes that linguistic meaning is based on associations between linguistic forms and semantic contents. This conception presents empirical as well as logical problems. It does not explain the flexibility of language use and it is inconsistent with the subject-dependence of all cognitive acts. A theoretical analysis of these issues shows a history of confusion between linguistic and phenomenological interpretations of the term meaning, and between the external and internal perspective towards intentionality of mental life. However, if understood as perspectives, both uses underline non-exclusive aspects of linguistic meaning, namely its epistemic objectivity and its ontological subjectivity. It is argued that both aspects could be integrated through the pragmatization and semiotization of meaning.