Towards a deflationary biosemantics

Semantic content without representation

Abstract

We develop here a broad conceptual framework to deal with the problem of normative content in biological activity. Teleosemantic conceptual frameworks, such as Ruth G. Millikan’s biosemantics, generally focus on representational capacities to explain the nature of semantic content. What we propose here is a deflationary biosemantics, which will dissociate normative content from representation, grounding itself on a deflationary view of semantic content. We argue that autopoietic enactivism’s thesis is the one that best fits the presuppositions of this new biosemantics. Following this, we defend a balanced demarcation principle to cognitive and non-cognitive activities, grounded on an autopoietic, anti-representational approach to meaningful interaction between living organisms, what we will call conversation.