Chapter 5. Language, listening, and commitment

5.1 Listening in a background

Sentences have literal meaning. —Searle, "Literal meaning" (1979), p. 117

5.2 Meaning, commitment, and speech acts

5.3 Objectivity and tradition

p 61

Analogy of roads and terrain.
But the actual placement [of roads] depends on who wants to get vehicles of what kind from where to where, for reasons that transcend geography.

5.4 Recurrence and formalization

We believe that water is H₂O and the Napoleon was the Emperor of France not because we have relevant experience but because somebody told us.

5.5 Breakdown, language, and existence

p 68

Nothing exists except through language.

p 69

It is often remarked that Eskimos have a large number of distinctions for forms of snow. This is not just because they see a lot of snow (we see many things we don't bother talking about), but precisely because there are recurrent activities with spaces of potential breakdowns for which the distinctions are relevant.