Foundational theories of meaning attempt to specify the semantic properties of expressions in natural languages. These theories are divided into mentalist and non-mentalist approaches. Mentalist theories explain meaning in terms of the mental states of language users, such as intentions (Gricean program) or beliefs and conventions. Non-mentalist theories explain meaning without reference to mental states, instead focusing on causal origins, truth conditions, regularities in use, or social norms. The document provides details on theories within the mentalist and non-mentalist categories.

1. Foundational Theories of
Meaning

2. Foundational Theories of Meaning
1. Mentalist
1.1 The Gricean
Program
1.2 Meaning, belief
and convention
1.3 Mental
Representation-based
theories
2. Non Mentalist
2.1 Causal Origin
2.2 TruthMaximization and
the principle of
charity
2.3 Regularities in
used
2.4 Social Norms

3. What is a foundational theories of
meaning?
 is the attempt of specifying facts in virtue of
expressions of natural languages that come to have
the semantic value/property.
 is a theory of meaning that is divided into theories
that explain and do not explain the meanings of
expressions of a language used by a group in
terms of the contents of the mental states of
members of the group.

4. Mentalist theories
 analyze one sort of representation particularly the
linguistic value.
 are the steps in the task of giving an ultimate
explanation of the foundations of linguistic
representation.
 aim to explain the nature of meaning in terms of
the mental states of language users

5. 1. The Gricean Program
 explains meaning in terms of the communicative
intentions of language users, and the view that the
meanings of expressions are fixed by
conventions.
2. Meaning, belief, and convention
 shares the Gricean commitment to a mentalist
analysis of meaning in terms of the contents of
mental states.

6. 3. Mental representation-based theories
 explain meaning in terms of the relationship
between linguistic expressions and propositional
attitudes of users of the relevant language.

7. Non-mentalist theories
 attempt to explain meaning in terms of mental
representation.
1. Causal Origin
 suggests that the reference of a name could be
explained in terms of the history rather than by
the associated descriptions.
2. Truth-maximization and the principle of charity
 aims to explain meaning in terms of the relations
between expressions and the objects and
properties they represent.

8. 3. Regularities in use
 focuses less on relations between subsentential
expressions or sentences and bits of nonlinguistic reality;
 focuses more on the regularities which govern
the use of the language.
4. Social norms
 explains the meaning of an expression for an
individual in terms of properties of that
individual’s use of the term.

9. Reference
Theories of Meaning. Retrieved August 11, 2012
from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/meaning/