edinburgh university press philosophy of language a-z mar 2007

Philosophy of Language A–Z Alessandra Tanesini The first glossary to cover the theories, debates, concepts, problems and philosophers within the philosophy of language in one volume. This essential reference tool, written in a language accessible to beginners and non-specialists alike, provides concise and precise entries on all the relevant key terms and issues. It includes extensive cross-references which indicate the contexts of each entry, and can be used to deepen understanding of any given topic. Philosophy of Language A–Z offers clear and thorough guidance on how to negotiate the complexities of the philosophy of language. Alessandra Tanesini is Reader in Philosophy at Cardiff University. Her publications include Wittgenstein: A Feminist Introduction (Polity Press, 2004) and An Introduction to Feminist Epistemologies (Blackwell, 1999). Co v er design: River Design, Edinburgh Edinburgh University Press 22 George Squar e , Edinburgh EH8 9LF www.eup.ed.ac.uk ISBN 978 0 7486 2229 0 Alessandra Tanesini barcode Edinburgh Alessandra Tanesini PHILOSOPHY A–Z SERIES GENERAL EDITOR: OLIVER LEAMAN These thorough, authoritative yet concise alphabetical guides introduce the central concepts of the various branches of philosophy. Written by established philosophers, they cover both traditional and contemporary terminology. Features • Dedicated coverage of particular topics within philosophy • Coverage of key terms and major figures • Cross-references to related terms. Philosophy of Language A–Z Philosophy of Language A–Z P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z i P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 Volumes available in the Philosophy A–Z Series Christian Philosophy A–Z, Daniel J. Hill and Randal D. Rauser Epistemology A–Z, Martijn Blaauw and Duncan Pritchard Ethics A–Z, Jonathan A. Jacobs Indian Philosophy A–Z, Christopher Bartley Jewish Philosophy A–Z, Aaron W. Hughes Philosophy of Religion A–Z, Patrick Quinn Philosophy of Mind A–Z, Marina Rakova Forthcoming volumes Aesthetics A–Z, Fran Guter Chinese Philosophy A–Z,BoMou Feminist Philosophy A–Z, Nancy McHugh Islamic Philosophy A–Z, Peter Groff Philosophy of Science A–Z, Stathis Psillos Political Philosophy A–Z, Jon Pike ii P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 Philosophy of Language A–Z Alessandra Tanesini Edinburgh University Press iii P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 C  Alessandra Tanesini, 2007 Edinburgh University Press Ltd 22 George Square, Edinburgh Typeset in 10.5/13 Sabon by TechBooks, India, and printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wilts A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 0 7486 2228 3 (hardback) ISBN 978 0 7486 2229 0 (paperback) The right of Alessandra Tanesini to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Published with the support of the Edinburgh University Scholarly Publishing Initiatives Fund. iv P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 Contents Series Editor’s Preface vii Introduction and Acknowledgements ix Philosophy of Language A–Z 1 Bibliography 184 v P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 vi P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 Series Editor’s Preface Philosophy is not only expressed in language, but language is often its main object of interest and enquiry. Not of course language in the sense of grammar and style, which is more the realm of linguistics and literary investigation. Language as our medium for pursuing meaning, which in itself is the repository of meaning, has constantly fascinated philosophers with its ability both to enlighten and confuse. The issue of how words mean things, an issue that seems on the face of it so very simple, has in fact served to differentiate some of the major philosophical schools, and continues to appear on the battlefields of major theoretical controversies in philosophy. One of the intriguing features of debates about language is that they are generally conducted in terms of the very medium under discussion. In modern times the philosophy of language has become rather technical in nature, and it is very helpful to have a systematic list of explanations of many of the key concepts and figures in the discipline. Alessandra Tanesini hasprovidedsuch a guide, and I am sure that readers of this volume will find her route through the thicket of different theories and arguments a useful one to follow. A solid grasp of some of the basic positions in the philosophy of language is indispensable for a grasp of philosophy as a whole, and this volume is designed to go someway to fulfilling that role. Oliver Leaman vii P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 viii P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 Introduction and Acknowledgements This dictionary introduces readers to the main theories, prob- lems, figures and arguments in the philosophy of language. It aims for breadth of coverage, including over 490 entries on every topic in the philosophy of language and on many notions in the cognate areas of logic, philosophical logic and the philosophy of mind. Entries are written in accessible, non- technical vocabulary and made to be as concise as possible. Each entry is cross-referenced to others that are related to it, so that the reader can broaden his or her knowledge of the issues and debates connected to a given problem or figure. Further, entries are supplemented by brief further readings. I would like to thank Alex Miller and Michael Lynch for suggestions about which entries to include, and Michael Dur- rant, Richard Gray and Oliver Leaman for useful comments on earlier drafts. Staff at Edinburgh University Press were par- ticularly helpful with all queries and have greatly facilitated the writing of this work. Cardiff, Wales May 2006 ix [...]... (because PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z 19 twater is the odourless, colourless liquid people drink on Twin Earth) See Burge, Tyler; Content; Externalism; Narrow content Burge, Tyler (1946–): At the time of writing a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Burge is one of the most prominent opponents of individualism in the philosophy of mind Instead, he supports a version of. .. characterisation of the structure of language Further reading: Chomsky (1995) Cluster theory of reference: A more recent version, developed by John Searle and Strawson, of the description theory PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z 25 of reference Instead of taking each name to abbreviate one definite description, the cluster theory takes names to abbreviate clusters of definite descriptions most of which, but not... levels of representation The first level is a deep structure, known as generative grammar, common to all speakers independently of what language they might speak This grammar consists of explicitly statable recursive rules for the generation of all the possible phrase structures in a language The surface structure, or transformative grammar, is derived from the deep structure by means of rules of transformation... support for bivalence in a given area of discourse is a mark of adopting a realist position with regard to that area of discourse See Realism Blackburn, Simon (1944–): A British, Cambridge-educated philosopher who has held academic positions at Oxford, Cambridge and the University of North Carolina He is 18 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z the main proponent of a version of non-cognitivism which he has dubbed... restating the original meaning of the concept to be analysed need not be incorrect Instead, it can refine, and sharpen up, that concept in ways that are informative PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z 7 Analytic: A statement, claim or sentence which is true (false) in virtue only of the meanings of the expressions which make it up For instance, ‘bachelors are unmarried males of a marriageable age’ is said to... in human beings which is largely innate Chomsky provides a variety of reasons in 24 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z favour of innatism First, he deploys the so-called poverty of stimulus argument He claims that children could not have acquired competence with regard to certain features of languages simply on the basis of their experiences of other speakers Chomsky also notes that innatism provides the best... expressions other than pronouns can have anaphoric relations with antecedent locutions See Pronoun; Prosentence Anscombe, G E M (1919–2001): Professor Anscombe was a fellow of Somerville College, Oxford University and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University Her influential work in philosophy includes her book Intention (1957) on action theory, and her papers on the intentionality of. .. 1980s Chomsky abandoned parts of this framework and began to think of universal grammar as a system of innate principles common to all speakers, combined with a certain numbers of parameters The learning of a specific natural language would thus be understood largely as a matter of setting the right parameters for that language Crucially, Chomsky does not believe that language world relations play an... persons on the basis of one instance only Analysis: It is a means of clarifying a concept by breaking it up into its conceptual components Thus, for example, the concept of bachelor can be analysed as unmarried man of a marriageable age See Analysis, paradox of Analysis, paradox of: The paradox has a long history having perhaps originated with Plato Suppose that a statement of A is B offers an analysis,... career at Oxford University and University College London In his PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z 15 book Language, Truth, and Logic (2nd edn 1946) Ayer argued that all meaningful propositions were either analytic or verifiable Ayer’s definition of verifiability was subject to many refinements in order to combat the charge that any statement whatsoever would satisfy the definition In the philosophy of perception . contexts of each entry, and can be used to deepen understanding of any given topic. Philosophy of Language A–Z offers clear and thorough guidance on how to negotiate the complexities of the philosophy. coverage of particular topics within philosophy • Coverage of key terms and major figures • Cross-references to related terms. Philosophy of Language A–Z Philosophy of Language A–Z P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH. OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE A–Z i P1: OTE/SPH P2: OTE/SPH QC: OTE/SPH T1: OTE EUBK026-Tanesini.cls-Sabon March 2, 2007 8:24 Volumes available in the Philosophy A–Z