Philosophy of Language

This engaging and accessible introduction to the philosophy of language provides an important guide to one of the liveliest and most challenging areas of study in philosophy. 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 analytical philosophy. The second edition includes new material on: Chomsky, Wittgenstein and Davidson as well as new chapters on the causal theory of reference, possible worlds semantics and semantic externalism.
Table of Contents 1. Frege: Semantic Value and Reference 2. Frege and Russell: Sense and Definite Descriptions 3. Sense and Verificationism: Logical Positivism 4. Scepticism about Sense (I): Quine on Analyticity and Translation 5. Scepticism about Sense (II):Kripke’s Wittgenstein 6. Saving Sense: Responses to the Sceptical Paradox 7. Sense, Intention and Speech Acts: Grice’s Programme 8. Sense and Truth: Tarski and Davidson 9. Sense, World and Metaphysics