Philosophy

Philosophy

Criticism and semantic analysis of language based on the neurobiological structure of the mind in the thought of John Searle

Document Type : Scientific-research

Author
Alireza faraji
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jop.2026.403532.1006952
Abstract
John Searle, a contemporary neuroscientist, as one of the most prominent analytical and cognitive philosophers, analyzed the framework of mind and consciousness based on the physical interactions of the brain, that is, nerve firings, and according to her belief, consciousness is the product of the high level of action and reaction of brain neurons, and the nervous structure and its actions are considered the low level of consciousness. According to Searle, one of the most important aspects of consciousness is the aspect of empathy that makes the conscious subject aware and related to the world outside himself. In Searle's philosophy, language is the most fundamental aspect of consciousness. According to him, language has both syntactic (synthetic) and semantic (semantic) characteristics. In order to better understand the language, he discussed speech verbs and language rules, which shows the role of language as the main factor of human communication and the development of consciousness. The relationship of the mind, as the place of establishment of consciousness, with language, as the exclusive tool of the conscious subject in order to express mental states, is something that Searle has paid special attention to based on the neurobiological method and offers a new explanation of it based on naturalistic principles. In the current research, we will analyze this problem, how can we reach the semantic concepts of language by relying on Searle's biological, neurological and philosophical teachings about the physical structure of the brain?
Keywords
Searle
neurobiology
mind
language
intentionality
Subjects
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Philosophy
Volume 24, Issue 1 - Serial Number 46
September 2026
Pages 215-234

  • Receive Date 02 October 2025
  • Revise Date 20 January 2026
  • Accept Date 18 February 2026