The pushmi-pullyu representation (“PPR”) is a non-conjunctive representation with both descriptive and directive contents. Introduced by Millikan, the PPR is supposed to aid in explaining how organisms adapt behavior to environmental variance in the absence of intermediate inference. Until recently, it has led an uncontroversial theoretical life. However, Artiga has suggested that the PPR postulate conflicts with Millikan-style teleosemantics and, as a consequence, the PPR postulate should probably be set aside. I suggest here that the theoretical motivations for the PPR are independent of any specific theory of naturalized content. If Artiga is right about the PPR’s incompatibility with Millikan-style teleosemantics, then that only reveals the inadequacy of Millikan-style teleosemantics. The PPR has a clear role to play in explaining the primitive systems that dominate the biosphere. However, Millikan did not want to limit the explanatory utility of the PPR to primitive systems but suggested that it has explanatory work to play in the animal signaling of complex organisms, Gibsonian affordances, as well as with distinctively human mental life and language. Contra Millikan, I suggest that the PPR has no or at best a very limited explanatory role to play in such cases. Further, the non-inferential feature of the PPR suggests that it should be understood at best as a marginal or borderline representation.

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pushmi-pullyu 表示的解释广度

pushmi-pullyu 表示（“PPR”）是具有描述性和指示性内容的非连接表示。由 Millikan 引入，PPR 应该有助于解释生物如何在没有中间推理的情况下使行为适应环境变化。直到最近，它一直过着没有争议的理论生活。然而，Artiga 认为 PPR 假设与密立根式的远程语义学存在冲突，因此，PPR 假设可能应该被搁置一旁。我在这里建议 PPR 的理论动机独立于任何特定的归化内容理论。如果 Artiga 关于 PPR 与密立根式远程语义不兼容的说法是正确的，那么这只揭示了密立根式远程语义的不足。PPR 在解释主导生物圈的原始系统方面发挥着明确的作用。然而，密立根不想将 PPR 的解释效用限制在原始系统上，而是建议它在复杂有机体的动物信号、吉布森式启示以及独特的人类心理生活和语言中发挥解释作用。与密立根相反，我建议 PPR 在这种情况下没有或充其量是非常有限的解释作用。此外，PPR 的非推论特征表明它最多应该被理解为边缘或边界表示。吉布森式的启示，以及独特的人类精神生活和语言。与密立根相反，我建议 PPR 在这种情况下没有或充其量是非常有限的解释作用。此外，PPR 的非推论特征表明它最多应该被理解为边缘或边界表示。吉布森式的启示，以及独特的人类精神生活和语言。与密立根相反，我建议 PPR 在这种情况下没有或充其量是非常有限的解释作用。此外，PPR 的非推论特征表明它最多应该被理解为边缘或边界表示。