Naturalism and Conceptual Norms

Author: Bermúdez J.L.

Source: The Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 49, Number 194, January 1999 , pp. 77-85(9)

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Abstract:

The normative dimensions of concept possession pose a serious problem for naturalistic approaches to the mental. Taking Christopher Peacocke’s recent proposal for a naturalistic accommodation of conceptual normativity as a stalking-horse, I argue that no proposal formulated in terms of law-like generalizations about the judgements which a concept possessor must find primitively compelling or self-evident can capture the crucial distinction between failing to possess a concept and misapplying a concept which one does actually possess.

Document Type: Original article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.00130

Affiliations: 1: University of Stirling

Publication date: 1999-01-01