John Searle and his Critics

Ernest Lepore (Edited by), E Lepore (Author), Robert van Gulick (Edited by)

9780631187028, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 29 December 1992

420 pages
22.9 x 15.4 x 2.4 cm, 0.624 kg

For more than three decades John Searle has been developing and elaborating a unified theory of language and mind. What has emerged is an impressive and detailed account of intentionality embracing both mental states and linguistic behaviour. Though the developing theory has been presented in a steady stream of books and articles over the last thirty years, two items stand out as major landmarks: the publication of Speech Acts in 1969 and of Intentionality in 1983. Both of these seminal books offer structural theories; that is, they analyze the items within their domains (speech acts and mental states) as having a structure which allows for variation along a number of parameters.

John Searle and His Critics proceeds from an analysis of the importance and influence of these two works to an overall assessment of Searle's impact in the philosophy of language, of mind, of social explanation, and of reference and intentionality. Each of the chapters has been newly commissioned from a leading scholar in the relevant field and each section concludes with a summary and response from Searle himself.

Notes on Contributors.

Editors' Introduction.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP]