Gilbert Harman An Introduction to ′Translation′ and ′Meaning′′ Chapter Two of Word and Object + Reply by Quine外语英文电子书.pdfVIP

G I L B E R T H A R M A N AN INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION AND MEANING C H A P T E R T W O OF W O R D A N D O B J E C T * In this paper I attempt to provide a brief introduction to the thesis of the indeterminacy of radical translation, as this is presented in Chapter Two of Quines Wordand Object. I begin by explaining what the thesis is, as I conceive it. Then I consider how one might defend the thesis. Finally I examine several aspects of Quines discussion of the thesis. Consider two of the ways to translate number theory into set theory. Von Neumanns method identifies each natural number including zero with the set of numbers smaller than it. Zermelos method identifies zero with the null set and identifies every other natural number n with the unit set whose sole member is n- 1. Although each of the resulting schemes translates a sentence counted true in number theory by one counted true in set theory, and similarly for sentences counted false in number theory, alternative translations are by no means equivalent and may even differ in truth value. For example, the sentence, Three is a member of five (which is assigned no truth value by unreduced number theory), is translated by a true sentence under the von Neumann scheme and by a false sentence under the Zermelo scheme. Most philosophers would agree that it does not make sense to ask which general scheme for translating number theory into set theory is the correct scheme, although in certain contexts one or the other may be more convenient. In consequence it can make no sense to ask what is the correct translation of a particular sentence of number theory unless one asks relative to some envisioned general scheme for translating number theory into set theory. Translation from