Millikan and Her Critics

Among the list of philosophers who have made the most significant contributions to the articulation and development of the naturalistic program in the theory of mind and language are Jerry Fodor, Fred Dretske, Daniel Dennett, Patricia and Paul Churchland, and Ruth Millikan. With her unwavering focus on the proper functions of our cognitive and linguistic mechanisms as a unifying thread, Millikan’s body of work is especially noteworthy for its scope, coherence, and striking originality. Along with her meticulously worked–out theory of mind and language, Millikan has made important contributions to philosophy of biology, epistemology, and metaphysics.  Millikan and Her Critics presents a collection of original essays by leading philosophers that closely examine various theories put forward by Ruth Millikan—along with Millikan’s own responses to each critique. This thought–provoking series of readings sheds important new light on the views of a contemporary philosopher who has made significant contributions to our understanding of the nature of mind and language.

Notes on Contributors vii Foreword ix Daniel C. Dennett A Millikan Bibliography xiii Introduction 1 Dan Ryder, Justine Kingsbury, and Kenneth Williford 1 Toward an Informational Teleosemantics 21 Karen Neander Reply to Neander, by Ruth Millikan 2 Signals, Icons, and Beliefs 41 Peter Godfrey–Smith Reply to Godfrey–Smith, by Ruth Millikan 3 Millikan ’ s Isomorphism Requirement 63 Nicholas Shea Reply to Shea, by Ruth Millikan 4 Millikan on Honeybee Navigation and Communication 87 Michael Rescorla Reply to Rescorla, by Ruth Millikan 5 Concepts: Useful for Thinking 107 Louise Antony Reply to Antony, by Ruth Millikan 6 Properties Over Substance 123 Richard Fumerton Reply to Fumerton, by Ruth Millikan 7 Millikan ’ s Historical Kinds 135 Mohan Matthen Reply to Matthen, by Ruth Millikan 8 Millikan, Realism, and Sameness 155 Crawford L. Elder Reply to Elder, by Ruth Millikan 9 Craning the Ultimate Skyhook: Millikan on the Law of Noncontradiction 176 Charles Nussbaum Reply to Nussbaum, by Ruth Millikan 10 Are Millikan ’ s Concepts Inside–Out? 198 Jesse Prinz Reply to Prinz, by Ruth Millikan 11 The Epistemology of Meaning 221 Cynthia Macdonald and Graham Macdonald Reply to Macdonalds, by Ruth Millikan 12 Weasels and the A Priori 241 David Braddon–Mitchell Reply to Braddon–Mitchell, by Ruth Millikan 13 All in the Family 259 Willem A. deVries Reply to deVries, by Ruth Millikan Afterword 281 Ruth Millikan References 282 Index 292

Dan Ryder is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, and publishes primarily in philosophy of mind and theoretical neuroscience. Justine Kingsbury is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. She works in philosophy of mind, philosophy of biology, aesthetics, and informal logic. Kenneth Williford is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at The University of Texas at Arlington. He works in philosophy of mind, modern philosophy, and phenomenology.

"There is a nice balance between sympathetic and skeptical commentators; and the discussion is constructive and illuminating throughout. The editors have provided an excellent introduction, which offers a lucid and elegant summary of Millikan’s views, as well as highlighting the main points of discussion in the book. Moreover, Millikan’s replies are extremely helpful in clarifying some of the stickier points in her earlier writings…Taken together, the essays collected here offer an intensive and illuminating exploration of Millikan’s views. The result is an excellent addition to the literature on metaphysics and on the philosophy of mind and language.”  ( Biology and Philosophy , 28 January 2014)