Scepticism and conditions for description

Abstract

Conditions for description are general rules to which language must conform if it is to serve descriptive purposes. It is argued that the existence of such rules renders scepticism about them incoherent. The only way we can decide whether or not there are such conditions is by seeing in practice whether or not there are certain rules such that we cannot in fact break them without making language unfit for describing. The case is similar to that of, e.g., the law of contradiction, which is itself a condition for description. If we find other conditions, the sceptic, like anyone else, will have to accept that he is bound by them no less than he is bound by the law of contradiction.