Semantic dispositionalism and multiplication

The article considers Nekhaev’s article on semantic dispositionalism and semantic Platonism. To analyze the idea of simple and semantic dispositions proposed by dispositionalism, it is proposed to consider the operation of multiplication. The result of considering the dispositions of the traditional method of multiplication fully corresponds to the decomposition of the multiplication operation into simple and composite dispositions. Multiplication of large numbers in such a method consists of an algorithm that includes the multiplication of small numbers. However, when considering the Russian peasant multiplication, it turns out that it cannot be represented in the form of simple dispositions and complex ones consisting of simple ones. Multiplication of small numbers in this method is not used to multiply large ones. The analysis of the Russian peasant multiplication demonstrates that in this method the multiplication of small and large numbers is a nonintersecting set of dispositions, which does not correspond to the theory put forward by semantic dispositionalism. On the contrary, Katz’s semantic Platonism, the explanatory power of which is based on the principle of decomposition, is able to reveal the essence of the Russian peasant method. A conclusion is made about the prospects of further study of the potential of semantic dispositionalism. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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