Editing Semantics (section)

=== Causal ===
Causal theories hold that the meaning of an expression depends on the causes and effects it has.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Glock|2012|pp=51–52}} | {{harvnb|Blackburn|2008a}} | {{harvnb|Speaks|2021|loc=§ 3.2.1 Causal Origin}} }}</ref> According to [[behaviorist]] semantics, also referred to as stimulus-response theory, the meaning of an expression is given by the situation that prompts the speaker to use it and the response it provokes in the audience.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Holm|Karlgren|1995|p=23}} | {{harvnb|Lyons|1996|pp=120, 123–125}} | {{harvnb|Lepore|2009|p=1026}} }}</ref> For instance, the meaning of yelling "Fire!" is given by the presence of an uncontrolled fire and attempts to control it or seek safety.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Duignan|2023|loc=§ Behaviourist Semantics}} | {{harvnb|Lepore|2009|p=1026}} }}</ref> Behaviorist semantics relies on the idea that learning a language consists in adopting behavioral patterns in the form of [[Classical conditioning|stimulus-response pairs]].<ref>{{harvnb|Lyons|1996|pp=123–125}}</ref> One of its key motivations is to avoid private mental entities and define meaning instead in terms of publicly observable language behavior.<ref>{{harvnb|Lyons|1996|pp=120–121}}</ref>

Another causal theory focuses on the meaning of names and holds that a naming event is required to establish the link between name and named entity. This naming event acts as a form of baptism that establishes the first link of a causal chain in which all subsequent uses of the name participate.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Blackburn|2008a}} | {{harvnb|Speaks|2021|loc=§ 3.2.1 Causal Origin}} }}</ref> According to this view, the name ''[[Plato]]'' refers to an ancient Greek philosopher because, at some point, he was originally named this way and people kept using this name to refer to him.<ref>{{harvnb|Blackburn|2008a}}</ref> This view was originally formulated by [[Saul Kripke]] to apply to names only but has been extended to cover other types of speech as well.<ref>{{harvnb|Speaks|2021|loc=§ 3.2.1 Causal Origin}}</ref>