Primary Know-How

Abstract

Martin Weichold raises the question of what role concepts play in action. He rejects the simplistic choice between assuming that acting is either conceptually structured or not. He suggests drawing a distinction between linguistic and practical concepts, the latter of which structure actions without presupposing a language. While linguistic concepts are understood as concepts that structure the contents of propositions, practical concepts, by contrast, are taken to be concepts which structure the surrounding world of an agent in such a way that this world appears to him in a meaningful, and hence, actionable way. An agent possesses a practical concept when there are neural connections in his brain–body system that allow him to recognize what is practically relevant in a given situation, and when he can act in response to what is relevant. This knowledge typically manifests in the application of certain capacities, such as the skillful shot in a tennis match. The core of Weichold’s considerations consists in making clear that concepts, and thereby certain forms of knowledge and understanding, also play a role in the absence of propositional thoughts or linguistic structures.