Critical Pragmatics
An Inquiry into Reference and Communication

Explains why critical pragmatics provides insight into how language study fits within the broader picture of human thought and action.

Kepa Korta (Author), John Perry (Author)

9780521764971, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 July 2011

192 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.4 cm, 0.43 kg

'Critical Pragmatics is an original and highly impressive contribution to the field of pragmatics. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in pragmatics in general and meaning in particular.' Professor Dr Eckard Rolf, Language and Dialogue

Critical Pragmatics develops three ideas: language is a way of doing things with words; meanings of phrases and contents of utterances derive ultimately from human intentions; and language combines with other factors to allow humans to achieve communicative goals. In this book, Kepa Korta and John Perry explain why critical pragmatics provides a coherent picture of how parts of language study fit together within the broader picture of human thought and action. They focus on issues about singular reference, that is, talk about particular things, places or people, which have played a central role in the philosophy of language for more than a century. They argue that attention to the 'reflexive' or 'utterance-bound' contents of utterances sheds new light on these old problems. Their important study proposes a new approach to pragmatics and should be of wide interest to philosophers of language and linguists.

1. Introduction
2. A short history of reference
3. Acts, roles and singular reference
4. Elements of reference
5. Demonstratives
6. Context sensitivity and indexicals
7. Names
8. Definite descriptions
9. Implicit reference and unarticulated constituents
10. Locutionary content and speech acts
11. Reference and implicature
12. Semantics, pragmatics and critical pragmatics
13. Harnessing information
14. Examples.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of mind [HPM], Philosophy of language [CFA]