近时西方语言哲学述评(一)

Philosophy of languaee: A review of recent works in the West

人类世界由三种形式的实在构成:第一,物质实在,如山、金子;第二,思想实在,如金山,2+2=4:第三,符号实在,如“金山是不存在的”。符号实在是使物质实在产生意义的媒介。离开了符号实在,物质世界对于人类来说将是一座零乱和不可知的迷宫。符号实在是思想实在的直接现实。

The human world consists of three modes of existence: physical, conceptual, and semiotic. The study of the semiotic mode of existence marks the 'third leap' of human knowledge and forms the mainstream of 20th century philosophical investigations. This paper focuses on the analysis of the referential aspect of human language and its ontological relevance. It argues that a linguistic sign contains both a reference and a sense, but to say that sense determines reference is misleading. Sense and reference share a parellel embodiment in a linguistic sign. Reference is relatively immutable while sense enriches or even changes with the cognitive development of man. In its ontological relevance, language expresses both particulars and universals. Reality is that which obtains as a result of man's interaction with the physical world.