Mental Occurrences and Terminus Verbs

Abstract

Looking back on present-day writings, a future historian of philosophy may conclude that this was the time when theory came to usurp the place of grammar. With the linguistic turn in the subject, due largely to Wittgenstein, metaphysical theorising gave way to conceptual or ‘grammatical’ investigations, but we are now beginning to see theorising of an ostensibly more scientific character in turn taking over from the more purely analytical concerns which followed on the demise of traditional metaphysics. More accurately, we are beginning to see a hankering after scientific theorising, the only progress to date towards the eventual triumph of theory over grammar taking the form of an increasing neglect of the latter, many philosophers, particularly those with an interest in psychology and the neurosciences, being impatient with the detailed matters of analysis which, a short time ago, were considered to give the raison d’être of their discipline. We should, I believe, be sceptical of any invocation of theory based on a scientific model; certainly, a preoccupation with theory should not be at the cost of ignoring the questions of meaning which are prior to issues concerning explanatory fruitfulness, comprehensiveness, elegance, and simplicity which theories might be called upon to provide.