@kennethamy,
kennethamy;132906 wrote:You mean that the term "elephant" refers to the concept of elephant and not to elephants?
In this context "elephants" is just another way of saying "the concept of elephant". So, the question is nonsensical.
kennethamy;132906 wrote:Well, I asked you about the word, "if". What is the concept of "if"?
If you don't understand the concept of "if", I'm pretty much wasting my time typing this.
kennethamy;132906 wrote:And what is your evidence for the theory of meaning that words refer to concepts?
It seems obvious. If you can name a word that means something but doesn't refer to a concept then tell me what it is.
kennethamy;132906 wrote:Let's suppose, as is true, that I don't have any concept of tensor calculus. I don't know what it is. However, suppose I say that tensor calculus is a branch of mathematics.
But you do have a concept of "tensor calculus". You just said it, "a branch of mathematics".
kennethamy;132906 wrote:Suppose I tell a person who does not know much English that there are giraffes in a certain place along with other animals. He asks, "what are you referring to?" and I reply by pointing to a giraffe. Should I have pointed to my head instead? That is where the concept of giraffe is, after all.
The word "giraffe" refers to the concept of "giraffe" but he's not asking that. He's really asking what the concept of "giraffe" is, which is instantiated by an actual giraffe. That's why pointing at your head would be foolish.
Also, (Wittgenstein covers this), just showing a single picture of a giraffe might not be enough to get the same concept as you. Is the picture the giraffe? Is it the trees in the picture? Is it the thing drinking water? Learning a concept is heuristic.
kennethamy;132906 wrote: And, to repeat an old question, if "elephant" refers to the concept of elephant (as you say) then what does "the concept of elephant" refer to? Also, the concept of elephant?
No, it refers to the concept of the concept of "elephant". There's concepts, the concepts of concepts, and so on...