Lexical Competence (Language, Speech, and Communication)

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Summary: New Links between Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence
Review: Lexical competence is both ability to do the right inferences and ability to recognize objects. The traditional analysis of lexical meaning (meaning postulates, semantic networks) are unable to explain the proper working of lexical competence. Arguing against mentalistic and causal theories of meaning, Marconi gives an account of "referential" competence, stressing the role of perception in language understanding.

A careful historical assessment of the basic ideas on meaning in Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence brings about a rigorous criticism of some leading contemporary authors (Bilgrami, Chomsky, Davidson, Fodor, Jakendoff, Putnam). Following a Wittgensteinian attitude to meaning and understanding the author concludes suggesting an approach to intelligent artificial systems which dismantles Searle's famous argument of the chinese room. Among the issues discussed: holism, externalism, communication, natural kinds, normativeness, stereotypes, vision! , understanding.