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Meaning, prototypes and the future of cognitive science

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Abstract

In this paper I evaluate the soundness of the prototype paradigm, in particular its basic assumption that there are pan-human psychological essences or core meanings that refer to basic-level natural kinds, explaining why, on the whole, human communication and learning are successful. Instead I argue that there are no particular pan-human basic elements for thought, meaning and cognition, neither prototypes, nor otherwise. To illuminate my view I draw on examples from anthropology. More generally I argue that the prototype paradigm exemplifies two assumptions that dominate cognitive science: (1) If human beings use words they mean something particular and what they mean can be discovered by scientific methods. (2) There is a fixed number of domains of categorization, each made up of a fixed number of basic categories. I suggest that these two assumptions lead to Brave New World.

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  1. Department of Philosophy, University of Utrecht, P.O. Box 80.103, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    J. Van Brakel

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This paper was written while on leave at the Department of Philosophy of Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada. A shortened version was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Philosophical Association in Victoria B.C., May 1990.

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Van Brakel, J. Meaning, prototypes and the future of cognitive science. Minds and Machines 1, 233–257 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351180

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