Beyond Concepts by Ruth Garrett Millikan (Live Reading)

We will live read and investigate Ruth Millikan's 2017 work Beyond Concepts: Unicepts, Language, and Natural Information in context of other thinkers such as

• Wilfrid Sellars

• Robert Brandom

• Kant

• Wittgenstein

More about the book from the publisher here:

https://academic.oup.com/book/5355

In case you have not heard of Ruth Millikan this introduction will situate her within three different philosophical contexts.

ONE Perhaps you are familiar with Wittgenstein and his private language argument. Perhaps you have wondered if the argument works and what might be some possible criticisms of the argument. Ruth Millikan is a critic of Wittgenstein on this point and thinks that there is a place for conceptual content which is (in some special sense) private.

TWO Alternatively, perhaps you are familiar with various forms of "social constructionism" and other philosophies which deny that there is a world independent of us. Millikan definitely sees a place for a real world which is independent of us which she expresses in terms of her concept of "natural information".

THREE It can sometimes seem that most philosophers are opposed to biology. Millikan is definitely a biology-friendly philosopher! She incorporates biology within her philosophy in at least two ways. First, she uses philosophy to clarify some of the central concepts of biology (such as the concepts of "species" and "purpose"). Second, she argues that biology can teach us a lot about how the mind works; but not in the simplistic way that one often hears about in pop science books.

Although she ultimately argues against Wittgenstein, social constructionism and biology-deniers, she does so in highly subtle and original ways. Participants who might want to defend Wittgenstein, social constructionism etc are of course welcome and will find Millikan's arguments intriguing and thought-provoking.

Both of your co-hosts (David and Philip) have studied Wittgenstein extensively and may very well end up defending Wittgenstein against Millikan's excellent criticisms of Wittgenstein's private language argument.

The event is a live read. David will read a short passage out loud and then we will discuss it as a group. So there is no need to prepare ahead of time unless you want to.

I hope that this description has peaked your interest and that will you join us to discus this important philosopher. Welcome!