Andrew Peet: "Understanding Interpretation"

Andrew Peet, Umeå University: "Understanding Interpretation"

Abstract
Utterance interpretation is of fundamental epistemic importance - it pervades our every interaction with others. But what are we doing when we interpret? There is an easy answer to this question: when we interpret an utterance we are engaged in a form of inquiry – we are attempting to discover the utterance’s meaning. I will argue against this easy answer and propose an alternative: Interpretation is a form of normative sense-making.