Etymology of 'monitor' (used by Grice in his 'first-person' philosophical psychology)

--- by JLS
------- for the GC

GRICE WANTS TO SAY THAT "We" are monitors. It's his example of the gymnastic instructor who tells a crowd:

"Raise up your right arm!"

and subsequently asks some questions. Grice explores the idea of the will self-monitoring its own acts. Or rather "I" monitoring my own acts.

The etymology of 'monitor' is cognate with that of 'mean', as per Grice 1948 "MeanING", and indeed his earlier "mnemonic"-state theory of "personal identity" alla Locke.

From online source:

monitor
1540s, "senior pupil at a school charged with keeping order, etc.," from L. monitor "one who reminds, admonishes, or checks," from monere "to admonish, warn, advise," related to memini "I remember, I am mindful of," and to mens "mind," from PIE base *men- "to think" (see mind (n.)). The lizard so called because it is supposed to give warning of crocodiles (1826). Meaning "squat, slow-moving type of ironclad warship" (1862) so called from name of the first vessel of this design, chosen by Capt. Ericsson because it was meant to "admonish" the Confederate leaders in the U.S. Civil War. Broadcasting sense of "a device to continuously check on the technical quality of a transmission" (1931) led to special sense of "a TV screen displaying the picture from a particular camera." The verb is attested from 1924. Related: Monitored; monitoring.