Semantics of Ideational Theory of Meaning:General Term in Philosophy of Language of Locke

The ideational theory of meaning is the theory according to which the meaning of words is subjective ideas. This theory whose main defender (though not innovator) is Locke, has not been regarded greatly nowadays, because there are several problems which have not been resolved. In this paper, we focus on a specific aspect of this theory, namely: the semantics of general terms. First, we explain Locke’s definition of "Idea" and his position on "General Terms"; then we propose some suggestions that we believe could support and modify this theory. Finally, by using the concept of “Class” we show how some problems of the ideational theory of meaning can be resolved.