Language, world, and structure

Abstract

The principle that meaning is use can be applied not only to linguistic
expressions. Generally this amounts to a wide notion of meaning according to
which objects of perception are interpreted to be meaningful entities by virtue
of habitual activities associated with them. From the viewpoint of a soft
version of naturalism the world is experienced as distinct meaningful entities
also independently the ability to use natural language. This is based on
non-linguistic meanings that are cannot be conventional in the same sense as
linguistic expressions.