Theory-Theory

---- by J. L. Speranza
------- for the Grice Club

I WILL PLAY A BIT with some Dalean-Griceian themes, such as 'theory' (Recall that the title to Dale's work is "The theory of meaning"). I was recently discussing, elswewhere, with B. Doyle, aspects of Grice's 'method in philosophical pscyhology' (which, as an essay, it is reprinted in Grice 1991, "Conception of Value"). As we recall, Grice uses 'theory' there in the rather obtuse usage of a Ramseyan. It was Ramsey who, perhaps influenced by the 'positivists'(?) had distinguished between 'theoretical' and 'observational' terms (no?). In any case, it is worth considering these usages of 'theory' vis a vis Griceianism: 'theory' as in 'theory of meaning' and 'theory' as in a theory for the introduction of things like '... believes ...' and '... desires ...' (or judges/wills, as Grice prefers) as 'theoretical' rather than 'observational' predicates.

Dale is well aware of all the problems involved in Grice's rather convoluted "Retrospective Epilogue" (of 1987) to WoW. In particular Dale discusses at appropriate lengths Grice's reply to Mrs Jack, and one thing that Grice mentions in passing, as it were, is that 'meanings' are supposed to be 'intuitive' items, rather than the result of theory. I should find the passage!

There is yet a different use of 'theory' that Grice uses intermittently in WoW, especially when dealing the area of Dale's thesis: expression-meaning (WoW:VI, then). At various points, perhaps in a nod to Chomsky whose "Syntactic Structures" Grice was familiar with -- and also perhaps "Aspects of a theory of syntax", of 1966 -- Grice speaks of 'a linguistic theory' or 'some linguistic theory'. He is suggesting that the philosopher will offer a general sketch on central issues, while some material should be received as input from the linguist. Some items will be concerns of 'some linguistic theory'. I should trace those references, too. He seems thus to be visualising, as I think Dale will agree, of 'theory of meaning' as being _philosophical_ in nature, and 'linguistic _theory_' as being just perhaps concerned with 'syntax', or structural in nature?

---- The subject line, 'theory-theory' is yet another use of 'theory' (a double one) by Grice, in his methodological best, i.e. his metaphysical methodological best. I'm not sure what he means by Theory-Theory but he seems to be having Aristotle in mind: Metaphysics would comprise Eschatology (Philosophical Eschatology) and such realms involve theory-theory in that it's just a super-theory, or theory about any theory (including 'the theory of meaning').

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On top of that, there's practice. Only today, S. Clark, in PHILOS-L, was distributing a job offer in a Dutch university, as I recall, "Chair in Theoretical Philosophy". As if they don't need a practising philosopher (I didn't know you had to practice to be one). My mentor in these issues was big on that. He was 'onto practical philosophy', never 'theoretical'. Yet, there is a sense (in my Aunt Matilda's 'sense' of 'sense') in which all philosophy is _theoretical_. When they speak of 'practical philosophy', I think they mean, 'theory of practice', which is a different thing. I think they mean someone who has read Aristotle's Eth. Nich. ultimately.

As we've seen, in "Aspects of Reason", Grice, to irritate _me_ ('vacuous' use of "to"), speaks of 'alethic' versus 'practical'. Most would have 'practical' versus 'theoretical'.

And so on.

Ultimately, Dale is into this idea put forward by various theorists of meaning including M. K. Davies that relate a fragment of a 'semantics' of a natural language (like English) to a 'component' for which speakers need not have 'tacit' knowledge of any sort, but which should be 'there in the open', in a constructive way, to account, philosophically, for all those things that interested Grice throughout his life!

Or something!

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