 This challenge is exacerbated by the anti-realist’s assumption that since the linguistic meaning of an expression \(E\) is determined solely by competent speakers’ use of \(E\) the child’s task in all cases is to infer the meaning of \(E\) from its use. Thus Dummett [1978 pp. 216–217], in discussing the meaning of mathematical statements, proposes a thesis he argues holds for the meanings of every kind of statement: