Is the Ameliorative Project Compatible with Semantic Externalism?

In this paper, the authors will bring together two topics in Sally Haslanger’s work that are of major importance to her overall philosophical projects: the ameliorative project and semantic externalism. They will introduce these topics in light of recent developments in the literature on conceptual engineering, and then address two concerns about the internal consistency of Haslanger’s own specific positions. The aim of the paper is to give a synoptic view of Haslanger’s extensive work on these topics in tandem with each other and to prompt Haslanger to clarify certain aspects of her former work.