General Griceanism and Stipulative Fiat

Abstract

General Griceanism is the radical proposal that all types of representation can be explained in a unified way as deriving from a more fundamental kind of representations, namely mental states. The view thus holds that there is no problem of scientific representation, or of any other form of epistemic representation like images, diagrams, or graphs. The only form of representation that requires a sustained philosophical investigation is mental states, and all other representations derive from these through an act of Stipulative Fiat. We discuss how General Griceanism deals with the problems and conditions for an account of scientific representation that we have identified earlier, and we argue that General Griceanism has oversold its case because, on closer inspection, General Griceanism and Stipulative Fiat turn out to be two separate doctrines.