JoLMA The Journal for the Philosophy of Language, Mind and the Arts

Rivista | JoLMA
Fascicolo monografico | 2 | 2 | 2021
Articolo | The ‘I’ in the Monad: Leibniz and the Essential Indexical

The ‘I’ in the Monad: Leibniz and the Essential Indexical

Abstract

Some modern and contemporary philosophers argue that the first-person indexical plays an essential role in the explanation of individual actions. As such it cannot be explained away or replaced by a co-referring term without destroying the cognitive force that its use conveys. There are important aspects of Leibniz’s work that anticipate the view of the essential indexical. The activity in the monad, such as the petites perceptions and appetitions, plays the cognitive role of grounding indexical reference and uses of the first-person pronoun to explain an agent’s perspective and behaviour.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Presentato: 21 Luglio 2021 | Accettato: 10 Agosto 2021 | Pubblicato 15 Dicembre 2021 | Lingua: en

Keywords MemoryPerceptionsMonadEssential IndexicalPersonal identity


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