"Paths to Singularity: Cognitive Space and the Construction of Singular Thought"

Friday 13th March (2:30-4:30 pm)

Felipe Nogueira de Carvalho (PhD Student with François Recanati)

Abstract: I will examine the following question: what makes a thought singular? Can we give criteria for singularity in such a way that, on the one hand, is not question-begging, that is, does not presuppose one or another theory used to explain it, and, on the other, can also be restrictive enough to exclude cases of non-singularity? I will identify two sets of theories which can be used to explain it, acquaintance models (Evans 1982) and mental file theories (Recanati 1993, 2008, Jeshion 2002), and go over some of the merits and disadvantages of both. After seeing some of their motivations and explanatory desiderata, I will precise and highlight some notions such as the normativity that guides these thoughts, and the notion of thought being 'connected' to just one object, which these theories aim to capture. I will then propose a new framework for explaining singular thought – one that combines some elements of both sets of theories, which, I'll claim, can give a promising account of what makes a thought singular while at the same time keeping normativity and avoiding some difficulties of the other accounts I'll point out during the talk.