Conceptual Revolution

This chapter examines when a word’s meaning can change, criteria for conceptual change, and what has to happen for a word to change meanings. This chapter takes the view that the meaning of a term is fixed by language users having certain dispositions to use the term in certain ways. Consequently, meanings change—concepts shift—when the relevant dispositions change. After the view is articulated, it is put to use defending descriptivism from some recent objections. Finally, this chapter examines the extent to which terms really replace meanings at all—conceptual revolution—or just have their meanings and references change shape—conceptual evolution.