6 - Network and Background in mental states and language

Summary

Network

A very important portion of Searle's story concerning mental states and language has yet to be told. Although this portion is intrinsic to the whole, it can best be told as if it were separate. Loosely speaking this portion has to do with the setting or context. Mental states, Searle insists, are not formed in an atomistic setting. Typically we do not have mental states that can be fully understood – indeed understood at all – in isolation from other mental states. Similarly, speech acts are not issued in isolation. Typically they are formed in a setting of other speech acts, mental states, and physical and social conditions.

Here is a variation of the example Searle presents to introduce us to what he will call the Network portion of the context. You develop a desire to become the political leader of your country (to become its president, prime minister or whatever). You express this desire linguistically by announcing your candidacy to your fellow party members and the public. But you and we can only understand what you are thinking and saying if we assume that there are political parties in your country and you are a member of one of these parties; if a process for running for office is in place; if there are rules (laws) that tell us that it is appropriate for you to run for office at this time; if you are eligible to run for such office and so on.