Question

a) Compare and contrast the Reference Theory of meaning and the Idea Theory of Meaning and explain how best each one of them can be used to explain the term Covid-19. (15marks)

Answer 1

The idea theory of meaning and the reference theory of meaning are basically two philosophical theories of language. The reference theory says that the meaning of a word rests in the direct subject which is being referred whereas the idea theory of meaning states that the meaning does not rest in the word directly, rather it rests indirectly in the idea and mental representation presented in the form of words. It means the direct reference theory is centered on the content that is tangible and can be seen whereas the idea theory of meaning is centered on the mental aspects that are unseen. In the wake of the current pandemic caused due to the coronavirus disease (CoVID-19), the direct reference theory can be applied to explain the situation in terms of words and explicit data such as the number of people dying or type vaccine developed. The meaning of the current pandemic can best be understood in terms of direct exposure to explicit data. On the other hand, idea theory of meaning can be used to explain the current pandemic of CoVID-19 in terms of the ideational thoughts such as uncertainty about the future (as no vaccine has been developed yet), fear of having CoVID-19, or the loss to the education, business, and lives. The meaning of the current pandemic can best be understood in terms of exposure to implicit data.