Why are indexicals essential?

• Autores: Simon Prosser
• Localización: Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, ISSN-e 1467-9264, Vol. 115, Nº. 3, 2015, págs. 211-233
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Despite recent challenges, it is commonly held that certain indexical terms such as ‘I', ‘here’ and ‘now’ have a necessary or ‘essential’ role in certain kinds of action. I argue that this is correct, and I offer an explanation. A use of an indexical term of the kind in question connotes a specific relation between the thinking subject and the reference of the indexical. The mental representation of this relation has an epistemic feature that I call first-person redundancy. I show through a regress argument that a mental state of this kind is essential for common kinds of action, and perhaps for all actions.