Can There Be A Language Of Thought? (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject Philosophy - Philosophy of the present, grade: 1,3, , course: Einführung in die Philosophie des Geistes, language: English, abstract: This essay explains Fodors canonical argumentation in favour of the Language of Thought Hypothesis as well as the conceptual counter argument by Hacker. It becomes clear that even though Fodor makes a strong case for the value of the hypothesis, Hackers considerations provide a striking argument against it. However since these considerations presuppose an essential normativity of language, it results that despite the immense value of the Language of Thought hypothesis, whether it is tenable seems to hinge on whether one is able to provide a theory for the normativity of language. This is then viewed as the central problem in the debate that needs to undergo further scrutiny, since it is logically prior to any other criticism one might target the Language of Thought Hypothesis with. This essay was written in order to deliver insight into Fodors arguments and Hackers counter-arguments and to thereby show how one arrives at the aforementioned conclusion. For before one takes aim, ones target needs to be in clear view.