论意义理论中的两条路线

Two Ways on the Theories of Meaning

意义理论在上世纪后期曾经是哲学讨论的一个核心领域，并成为语言学、逻辑学、认知科学和心理学的交叉研究领域；但它是一个非常复杂而又混乱的研究领域。D．刘易斯在谈到意义理论时指出：“我区分两个主题。首先，可以把可能的语言和语法描述成一种抽象的语义系统，藉此我们把语言中的符号与我们周遭的世界关联起来。其次，通过心理学和语言学事实的描述，任何抽象的语义系统都是被某人或某群体使用着的一个具体的系统。混淆这两个主题只会带来迷惑。

There are two fundamental ways on the theories of meaning in the 20th century, one way, such as the theory of reference, is to clarify the meaning of language expressions by the model of reflection which depends on the relation between language expressions and the world; the other way, such as the behavioral theory of meaning, shows that the meaning of language expressions are grasped by studying behaviors in the language community which are described as a series of process of stimuli-reaction. By analyzing both theories mentioned above, we draw a conclusion that they differ in the explanation of sensory experience and its role in explicating language expressions＇ meaning, but both of them didn＇t give us an adequately acceptable explanation on senso- ry experience.