Thursday Seminar, May 14th
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Joshua Pearson
May 11, 2026, 1:07:06 AMMay 11
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Hello everyone,
Title: "What the Tortoise Told The Skeptic”
Abstract: Over forty years ago, Saul Kripke did the unthinkable — producing an exposition of Wittgenstein's Rule-Following Argument that was actually intelligible. More than that, interesting as well. In this talk I discuss Wittgenstein's Skeptical Paradox about rule-following, or, more generally, meaning, as Kripke presents it. I shall follow Kripke in discussing the case of Addition. The Skeptic asks you: How do you know that you mean Addition by your term 'plus'? Kripke says The Skeptic's challenge can be met only if one can provide an account of a fact that determines what one means by one's words, here 'plus', and also: shows how one is justified in giving the answer one gives to questions like 'What is 68 + 57?' (here, '125'). The Skeptic's question is a good scientific one. I shall give a scientific answer to it ... one that is, hopefully, also a good one!
Join us to (hopefully) finally found out whether by 'plus' we have this whole time actually meant quus,
This week, the Thursday Seminar warmly welcomes Drew Khlentzos (Macquarie University), who will be presenting on May 14th, 3.30pm, in the RSSS Auditorium (room 1.28). Title and abstract are below.
Other events in the day include:
- A grads-only pre-talk session with the speaker in room 6.68 at 2:00pm;
- Tea in the School of Philosophy tearoom at 3:00pm;
- Drinks at Badger & Co at 5:00pm;
- Dinner at TBD (let me know if you have preferences!) at 6:30pm, half-subsidized for grad students (put your name down here if you would like to join).
- All visitors (faculty, graduate students, undergraduates) are welcome to join for dinner. Faculty dine at a rate of ~$30.00 AUD, and graduate students and undergraduates at a rate of roughly $15.00 AUD.
Title: "What the Tortoise Told The Skeptic”
Abstract: Over forty years ago, Saul Kripke did the unthinkable — producing an exposition of Wittgenstein's Rule-Following Argument that was actually intelligible. More than that, interesting as well. In this talk I discuss Wittgenstein's Skeptical Paradox about rule-following, or, more generally, meaning, as Kripke presents it. I shall follow Kripke in discussing the case of Addition. The Skeptic asks you: How do you know that you mean Addition by your term 'plus'? Kripke says The Skeptic's challenge can be met only if one can provide an account of a fact that determines what one means by one's words, here 'plus', and also: shows how one is justified in giving the answer one gives to questions like 'What is 68 + 57?' (here, '125'). The Skeptic's question is a good scientific one. I shall give a scientific answer to it ... one that is, hopefully, also a good one!
Join us to (hopefully) finally found out whether by 'plus' we have this whole time actually meant quus,
Josh
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