Philosophy of Language: Second Edition Volume 9

By Alex Miller and Alexander Miller

Book Overview

'Alex Miller has thought incisively about how to introduce contemporary philosophy to students. His book covers a lot of ground, but by well-judged selection and outstandingly well-organised and lucid exposition he has been able to go into a number of topics quite deeply... this book is excellent.' Philosophical Books 'An accessible and well-informed guide to this current debate and its origins; professionals as well as students will find this book useful.' Times Literary Supplement Philosophy of Language provides a comprehensive, meticulous survey of twentieth-century and contemporary philosophical theories of meaning. Interweaving the historical development of the subject with a thematic overview of the different approaches to meaning, the book provides students with the tools necessary to understand contemporary analytic philosophy Beginning with a systematic look at Frege's foundational theories on sense and reference, Alexander Miller goes on to offer an exceptionally clear, exposition of the development of subsequent arguments in the philosophy of language. Communicating a sense of active philosophical debate, the author confronts the views of the early theorists, taking in Frege, Russell and logical positivism and going on to discuss the scepticism of Quine, Kripke and Wittgenstein. The work of philosophers such as Davidson, Dummett, Searle, Fodor, McGinn, Wright, Grice and Tarski is also examined in depth. This fully revised second edition contains several new sections on important topics including: causal theories of reference, the normativity of meaning, 'factualist' interpretations of Kripke's Wittgenstein, Putnam's 'twin-earth' arguments for externalism. This engaging and accessible introduction to the philosophy of language is an unrivalled guide to one of the liveliest and most challenging areas of philosophy and the new edition captures the vibrant energy of current debate. Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0773533389
• ISBN13: 9780773533387
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"