C. I. Lewis and the Similetic Use of Language

Abstract

THE PAPER ATTEMPTS TO RESCUE LEWIS'S DOCTRINE OFEXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE FROM THE SLOUGH INTO WHICH IT HASLATELY BEEN FLUNG. THE PAPER DOES FOUR THINGS: PART IRECALLS LEWIS'S DOCTRINE OF EXPRESSIVE STATEMENTS('EXPRESSIVES'); PART II STATES THE VARIOUS CRITICISMS THATHAVE BEEN SENT AGAINST THEM TOGETHER WITH CRITICISMS OFLEWIS'S CLAIMS THAT EXPRESSIVES WERE BOTH EMPIRICAL ANDCERTAIN AND THAT THEY COULD SERVE AS ATOMS FOR HISMOLECULAR 'TERMINATING JUDGMENTS', PART III DEMONSTRATESTHAT LEWIS'S EXPRESSIVES ARE REALLY SIMILES, SHARING ALLTHE PROPERTIES ATTRIBUTED TO SIMILES INCLUDING BEINGCERTAIN, IN A SIMILETIC WAY, AS WELL AS BEING EMPIRICAL;PART IV SHOWS THAT THE CRITICISMS STATED IN PART II SEEM TOREST ON A MISUNDERSTANDING OF EXPRESSIVES AND EXPRESSIVELANGUAGE BUT THAT THEY CAN ALL BE MET BY EMPLOYING THELANGUAGE MODEL OF SIMILE DEMONSTRATED IN PART III.