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Meaning Paul Horwich (Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, University College, London)

Meaning By Paul Horwich (Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, University College, London)

Summary

Presents an original theory of meaning, demonstrates its richness, and defends it against all comers. The author surveys the diversity of twentieth-century philosophical insights into meaning and shows that his theory can reconcile these with a common-sense view of meaning as derived from use.

Meaning Summary

Meaning by Paul Horwich (Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, University College, London)

What is meaning? Paul Horwich presents an original philosophical theory, demonstrates its richness, and defends it against all comers. At the core of his theory is the idea, made famous by Wittgenstein, that the meaning of a word derives from its use; Horwich articulates this idea in a new way that will restore it to the prominence that it deserves. He surveys the diversity of valuable insights into meaning that have been gained in the twentieth century, and seeks to accommodate them within his theory. His aim is not to correct a common-sense view of meaning, but to vindicate it: he seeks to take the mystery out of meaning. Horwich's 1990 book Truth stablished itself both as the definitive exposition and defence of a notable philosophical theory, `minimalism', and as a stimulating, straightforward introduction to philosophical debate about truth. Meaning now gives the broader context in which the theory of truth operates, and is published simultaneously with a revised edition of Truth, in which Horwich refines and develops his treatment of the subject in the light of subsequent discussions, while preserving the distinctive format which made the book so successful. The two books together present a compelling view of the relations between language, thought, and reality. They will be essential reading for all philosophers of language.

Meaning Reviews

an important book ... a thought-provoking challenge to the current orthodoxies surrounding meaning, one on which all advocates of formal semantics - indeed all those who want an answer to the question of what meaning is - will do well to reflect. * The Philosophical Review, vol. 110, no. 1 *

About Paul Horwich (Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, University College, London)

Paul Horwich is Professor of Philosophy at University College London. He was previously Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ; 2. Pseudo-Constraints on an Adequate Theory of Meaning ; 3. Meaning as Use ; 4. Truth ; 5. Reference ; 6. Implicit Definition, Analyticity, and A-priori Knowledge ; 7. The Composition of Meanings ; 8. Norms of Language ; 9. Quelling Quine's Qualms ; 10. A Straight Solution to Kripke's Sceptical Paradox ; Bibliography ; Index

Additional information

NPB9780198237280
9780198237280
0198237286
Meaning by Paul Horwich (Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy, University College, London)
New
Hardback
Oxford University Press
1998-12-03
254
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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