Semantic Analysis Of The Rule Following Problem

Since Wittgenstein explicitly put forward the idea of the "rule-following paradox" in Philosophical Studies,the problem of rule-following has gradually been incorporated into the vision of philosophers.Based on the philosophical thought of Sellars language,this paper systematically presents the overall picture of Silas’ idea of rule compliance by analyzing his research on rule compliance and discussing it from the perspective of semantic analysis.When performing semantic analysis of rule compliance problems,it is inevitable that intentionality issues need to be explored.Silas proposed that the nature of intentionality determines that intentionality cannot go beyond the scope of the rules,so he introduced concept V to defend the theory,arguing that concept V forms an indestructible chain relationship with intentional thought P and intentional action X under normative constraints.However,this normative relationship is not in accordance with the rules,and Silas proposes that the subject is not aware that he is following the rules when he performs verbal actions,but the subject acts within the constraints of the rules,which Sellars calls pattern-dominated behavior.Sellars extends this theory to the analysis of language,explaining how verbal activity is carried out under rules,emphasizing that the subject to which the rules apply is a person with conceptual abilities.This conceptual ability implies a mastery of the ability to infer.At the same time,Sellars called the expression of intentional thoughts an observation report,believing that the observation report is produced after the external environment stimulates the mind under the action of cause and effect,as the beginning of the cognitive subject’s conceptual understanding of the world,and plays the dual identity of causality and normative in the "mind-world".Sellars believes that this causality is based on certain social practices,which are all habitual associations produced by human beings when facing the natural world,and causal relationships produced under the logical action of substantive rules according to the existing conceptual framework.Sellars suggested that the study of rules,languages,etc.needs to be placed in a linguistic community,and that studying them alone is prone to the extremes of linguisticism.A linguistic community is a conceptual framework,and in the legitimacy of equivalence between the two,produces a concrete analysis of Sellars’ essential requirements for the concept of "meaning".Sellars points out that the conceptual framework of any linguistic community has its own specific linguistic rules,and in general,the internal interpretive domain of the conceptual framework cannot go beyond the scope specified by the rules.At the end of the article,he analyzes and points out the problem that Sellars faces in the theory of rule following,the absence of the social practice of "using language".Sellars argues that when we understand how "using language" emerges at the level of social practice,then we also explain how the mind and the world are connected.Silas believes that "using language" cannot be separated from social practice,and there is no distinction between the two,"using language" is produced together with social practice,but how the two arise together,Silas does not give a detailed explanation.