Ruth Garrett Millikan

Known for originating a biologically-grounded approach to language and thought. Book Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories (1984) developed distinctive theories of meaning and of concepts and proved highly influential in the Philosophy of mind and language. Most influential was her teleological theories of the meaning of language and the content of thought, grounding meaning and content in the evolutionary function of cognitive systems. Developed an original naturalistic theory of concepts, most notably in her book On Clear and Confused Ideas: An Essay about Substance Concepts (2000). Produced influential work in the foundations of cognitive science and the philosophy of biology. Awarded the Jean Nicod Prize by the Paris Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in 2002.