Philosophy, Language, Linguistics and the Ontology of Meaning: A Discourse on the Pragmatic Theory of Meaning

Abstract

Language, linguistics and philosophy have a melting point and this is predicated on the fact that while language is about the development, acquisition, maintenance and use of complex systems of communication, linguistics is the scientific study of language. Philosophy pries into both in the form of philosophy of language and philosophy of linguistics. Both are interested in philosophical questions about the structure of language, ontology of meanings, the relationship between language and the world and language and thought respectively. And an important variable that underlines these activities is the ontology of meaning and the discourse on the ontology of meaning has led to a whole lot of theories of meaning and their practical implications especially the pragmatic theory. This informed the intention of this paper which interrogates the ontology of the pragmatic theory of meaning using the critical analytic model. The pragmatic theory of meaning states that the meaning of a term or concept can be explicated in terms of the practical effects associated with the object of the conception. From the analysis, it was palpable that despite the various objections to the pragmatic theory of meaning, it is still one of the foremost theories of meaning based on the currents and its embracing mode as it also remains an evergreen catalyst for language, linguistics and philosophy