Philosophy A-Level
Semantic reduction
What Semantic reduction means in Philosophy A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Semantic reduction
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Reference: AQA
A claim about meaning: every proposition that appears to talk about a mental state can be translated with no change of meaning into propositions speaking only the language of physics.
Topics that use Semantic reduction
- Physicalist theories (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Eliminative materialism
- First-person certainty of mental states
- Folk psychology
- Hempel's logical analysis of psychology
- Implications for physicalist theories
- Inference to the best explanation
- Knowledge by direct access versus inference
- Knowledge of other minds
Using Semantic reduction in the exam
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