Michael Devitt

Michael Devitt is a philosopher known for his work in semantics and the philosophy of language, particularly regarding how words refer to objects in the world. He argues against the idea that meaning comes solely from mental associations, proposing instead that reference relies on a more direct relationship between words and the things they signify. Devitt’s views challenge traditional theories by suggesting that our language is tied to the physical world rather than just our thoughts about it, emphasizing that understanding language involves examining how it functions in practice, rather than just its psychological aspects.