The theory of mental files arose from the convergence of research in several disciplines : in analytic philosophy, research on singular reference, identity representation and mental indexicality ; in linguistics, research on anaphoric chains and the notion of discourse referent ; in perceptual psychology, research on the visual representation of objects ; in developmental psychology, research on the notion of object in the preverbal child. The research program resulting from this convergence of ideas was articulated by François Recanati, holder of the Philosophy of Language and Mind chair at the Collège de France, in two seminal books : Mental Files (Oxford University Press, 2012) and Mental Files in Flux (Oxford University Press, 2016). But even as the program inspires fruitful research in several disciplines, a fundamental debate has opened up concerning the very interpretation of the notion of mental files. Many have rejected the " indexical model " proposed in the two books in question, in the name of considerations relating to cognitive dynamics. The Mental Files: New Foundations project (ERC Advanced Grant, 2024-2029) aims to mediate this debate and re-found the theory of mental files through the development of a new model.
Research
