The Adoption Problem states that certain basic logical principles cannot be adopted, meaning that if one does not already infer in accordance with them then one cannot start following them by explicitly being told the principle. This thesis argues that the Adoption Problem rests on misleading assumptions. The right diagnosis is that someone has failed to understand the principle due to not possessing the concepts used to state the principle. One can acquire a logical concept by being immersed in an activity in which the concepts are embedded. In the case of quantifiers, I will follow an idea due to Hintikka, and show how one can learn the meaning of the quantifiers by learning to play a kind of game called the ‘seeking-and-finding’ game.

You can read my thesis here!