Quine and Analytic Philosophy: The Language of Language

By George D. Romanos

For fifty years, Willard Van Orman Quine's books and articles have stimulated intense debate in the fields of logic and the philosophy of language. Many scholars in fact, regard Quine as the greatest living English-speaking philosopher; yet his views remain widely misunderstood and misinterpreted. This book provides the first major explication and defense of Quine's systematic philosophy and is ideally suited for use as a required or supplementary text in a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in philosophy and linguistics.The book explores the far-reaching implications of Quine's views on language for contemporary analytic philosophy. It is unique in providing a lucid and rich description and reconstruction of the historical context from which Quine's work grew, focusing in particular on the role that Russell and Wittgenstein played in shaping the problems inherited by Quine. It presents Quine's difficult later views in an accessible fashion, bringing out as no other study has the very radical nature of his position. One of the book's highlights is its careful examination and assessment of Tarski's theory of truth as it relates to the traditions of Russell and Wittgenstein and to Quine's own philosophy. This book grew out of his dissertation with the active criticism and support of Quine himself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B00992222E
• ISBN13: 9780262680387
• Release Date: May 1983
• Publisher: MIT Press
• Length: 227 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Defends Quine's status as one of the most important 20th century philosphers

I am not a professional philosopher, but I did read most of Quine's books before this one. I was delighted to find that the book clarified my understanding, organized my thought, and presented me with the Big Picture. I also found it highly enjoyable. Another reviewer downgraded this volume for, as I would say it, taking an uncritical stance toward Quine's work. This misses the point that Romanos is himself a working philosopher that happens to be directly influenced by Quine's work. As the publishers note this is "...the first major explication and defense of Quine's systematic philosophy". Thus, the book is an open attempt to explain and _defend_ Quine. The author succeeds admirably. He clarifies Quine's central contributions to philosophy, explores their implications, and addresses frequent misunderstandings of Quine's work by his critics. He makes a strong case for Quine's place among the very few most important and influental philosophers of the 20th century. That means you're getting more than a "study guide" or encyclopedia entry for Quine. There's nothing wrong with those, but you'll have to look elsewhere. If you are aware of Quine's work on a somewhat superficial level, are inclined to dismiss him for one reason or another, and/or don't see what the big deal is, then you should read this book. For the non-professional, this book is a very useful, brief, and entertaining overview of Quine's philosophy. Quine had a very long career, and his work is scattered throughout a large number articles combined into a large number of books. Some of his papers are highly technical. It can be difficult to take it all in.