Fully Understanding Concept Possession

Can subjects genuinely possess concepts they do not understand fully? A simple argument can show that, on the assumption that possession conditions are taken to fully individuate concepts, this question must be answered in the negative. In this paper, I examine this negative answer as possibly arti...

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Main Author: Víctor M. Verdejo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) 2018-04-01
Series:Crítica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://critica.filosoficas.unam.mx/index.php/critica/article/view/76
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author Víctor M. Verdejo
author_facet Víctor M. Verdejo
author_sort Víctor M. Verdejo
collection DOAJ
description Can subjects genuinely possess concepts they do not understand fully? A simple argument can show that, on the assumption that possession conditions are taken to fully individuate concepts, this question must be answered in the negative. In this paper, I examine this negative answer as possibly articulated within Christopher Peacocke’s seminal theory. I then discuss four central lines of attack to the view that possession of concepts requires full understanding. I conclude that theorists should acknowledge the existence of indefinitely many cases of genuine concept possession for partially understood concepts and therefore face the determination challenge, namely, the challenge of fully determining concept individuation from concept possession conditions of partially understood concepts.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 0011-1503
1870-4905
language English
publishDate 2018-04-01
publisher Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
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spelling doaj-art-305a18423e30450b8547e096b57c20c02025-08-20T03:43:01ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Crítica0011-15031870-49052018-04-015014810.22201/iifs.18704905e.2018.01Fully Understanding Concept PossessionVíctor M. Verdejo0University of Barcelona, Barcelona Institute of Analytic Philosophy (BIAP) Can subjects genuinely possess concepts they do not understand fully? A simple argument can show that, on the assumption that possession conditions are taken to fully individuate concepts, this question must be answered in the negative. In this paper, I examine this negative answer as possibly articulated within Christopher Peacocke’s seminal theory. I then discuss four central lines of attack to the view that possession of concepts requires full understanding. I conclude that theorists should acknowledge the existence of indefinitely many cases of genuine concept possession for partially understood concepts and therefore face the determination challenge, namely, the challenge of fully determining concept individuation from concept possession conditions of partially understood concepts. https://critica.filosoficas.unam.mx/index.php/critica/article/view/76partial understandingconcept individuationimplicit conceptionsanti-individualismdetermination challenge
spellingShingle Víctor M. Verdejo
Fully Understanding Concept Possession
Crítica
partial understanding
concept individuation
implicit conceptions
anti-individualism
determination challenge
title Fully Understanding Concept Possession
title_full Fully Understanding Concept Possession
title_fullStr Fully Understanding Concept Possession
title_full_unstemmed Fully Understanding Concept Possession
title_short Fully Understanding Concept Possession
title_sort fully understanding concept possession
topic partial understanding
concept individuation
implicit conceptions
anti-individualism
determination challenge
url https://critica.filosoficas.unam.mx/index.php/critica/article/view/76
work_keys_str_mv AT victormverdejo fullyunderstandingconceptpossession