The Charity Solution
Davidson speaks of another constraint on a truth theory if it is to provide us with an interpretation of language which maximizes true beliefs. In other words, the truth theory must provide an interpretation which makes most of the sentences held true by the speaker of that language. Succinctly, if we follow a truth theory while interpreting a speaker we should make ascription in a manner that makes most of the beliefs that the speaker holds are true. So, we see that the theory of interpretation has the principle of charity as an essential component as well as holism. As we go about interpreting the speaker, we do it by trying to find out truth conditions of the sentences that (s)he utters only holistically. Here we must not forget that in doing this we have to be radical in our interpretation. By explaining the issue that 'when is an interpretation to be radical' Davidson states that radical interpretation is an inferential process which starts with a set of information, all of which is non-semantic, but ends in the attribution of rich and varied meanings.18
From the above analysis it is asserted that Davidson's approach to meaning is unique because of his descriptions on 'the theory of interpretation' and 'the belief system' that in true sense claims to establish his meaning holism. He states that to know the meaning of a sentence means to understand the sentence. And, in order to understand a sentence we need to know the meaning of its constituent words, its usage, the rules through which it governs, and along with those a few further requirements, such as sharedness of belief between the speaker and the hearer, and the theory of radical interpretation. Hence, it is claimed that no sentence could be understood in isolation from other sentences of a given language. Therefore, Davidson's submission is, meaning of an expression is determined in relation to other expressions of a language. Meaning, thus, in the Davidsonian approach works either in a linguistic or in a mental system holistically.
| 18 | Please see Davidson, D. (1984). Radical Interpretation. In Inquires into Truth and Interpretation. Oxford: Clarendon Press. |