An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language

A critical introduction to the central issues of the philosophy of language.

Michael Morris (Author)

9780521603119, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 14 December 2006

334 pages
24.7 x 17.4 x 1.9 cm, 0.664 kg

"'This is a knowledgeable and very useful addition to contemporary introductions to the philosophy of language, somewhere in difficulty between Lycan's 2008 and Taylor's (1998) worthy texts. It is the right size for a 15-week semester course, at one chapter a week (students like to use what they buy) ...this book will give any motivated student a good survey of the subject."
--Robert Harnish, University of Arizona, Philosphy in Review

In this textbook, Michael Morris offers a critical introduction to the central issues of the philosophy of language. Each chapter focusses on one or two texts which have had a seminal influence on work in the subject, and uses these as a way of approaching both the central topics and the various traditions of dealing with them. Texts include classic writings by Frege, Russell, Kripke, Quine, Davidson, Austin, Grice and Wittgenstein. Theoretical jargon is kept to a minimum and is fully explained whenever it is introduced. The range of topics covered includes sense and reference, definite descriptions, proper names, natural-kind terms, de re and de dicto necessity, propositional attitudes, truth-theoretical approaches to meaning, radical interpretation, indeterminacy of translation, speech acts, intentional theories of meaning, and scepticism about meaning. The book will be invaluable to students and to all readers who are interested in the nature of linguistic meaning.

Introduction
1. Locke and the nature of language
2. Frege on sense and reference
3. Russell on definite descriptions
4. Kripke on proper names
5. Natural-kind terms
6. Quine on de dicto and de re modality
7. Reference and propositional attitudes
8. The semantics of propositional attitudes
9. Davidson on truth and meaning
10. Quine and Davidson on translation and interpretation
11. Quine on the indeterminacy of translation
12. Austin on speech acts
13. Grice on meaning
14. Kripke on the rule-following paradox
15. Wittgenstein on the Augustinian picture.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], Analytical philosophy & Logical Positivism [HPCF5], Philosophy of language [CFA]