Downplaying the change of subject objection to conceptual engineering.
Conceptual engineering projects have been criticized for creating discontinuities of subject-matter and, as a result, discontinuities in inquiries: call this the Change of Subject objection. In this paper, I explore a way of dealing with the objection that clarifies its scope and eventually downplay...
| Published in: | Inquiry Vol. 68; no. 9; pp. 2942 - 2966 |
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| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
Oct2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=188286065&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 188286065 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 0020174X B8P jtl: Inquiry issn: 0020174X maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Oct2025 vid: 68 iid: 9 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 188286065 10.1080/0020174X.2021.1908161 ppf: 2942 ppct: 24 formats: tig: atl: Downplaying the change of subject objection to conceptual engineering. aug: au: Belleri, Delia affil: LanCog, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal su: Semantics methodology Conceptual design Philosophers sug: subj: Semantics methodology Conceptual design Philosophers keyword: change of subject concepts Conceptual engineering function inquiry topic ab: Conceptual engineering projects have been criticized for creating discontinuities of subject-matter and, as a result, discontinuities in inquiries: call this the Change of Subject objection. In this paper, I explore a way of dealing with the objection that clarifies its scope and eventually downplays it. First, two strategies aimed at saving subject-continuity are examined and found wanting: Herman Cappelen's appeal to topics, and the account in terms of concept function. Second, the idea is introduced that one can begin an object-level inquiry either with a 'semantically conservative' approach, whereby semantic change is not permitted, or with a 'semantically progressive' approach, whereby semantic change is permitted. This distinction helps one significantly downplay the Change of Subject objection. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y dt: @attributes: year: 2025 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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