Semantic Properties
(Churchland P 257)

Semantic properties are things that are true of something that have to do with meaning.

Some semantic properties:

Argument against reductive materialism:

  1. If thoughts were brain states, then semantic properties would be true of brain states.
  2. Semantic properties are not true of brain states.
  3. Therefore, thoughts are not brain states. (1, 2: modus tollens)

Churchland's response: Deny premise 2.


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Richard Lee, rlee@uark.edu, last modified: 14 April 2003