Coming to our Senses

Michael Devitt is a distinguished philosopher of language. In this new book he takes up foundational issues in semantics. Three important questions lie at the core of this book: What are the main objectives of semantics? Why are they worthwhile? How should we accomplish them? Devitt answers these "methodological" questions naturalistically and explores what semantic program arises from the answers. The approach is anti-Cartesian, rejecting the idea that linguistic or conceptual competence yields any privileged access to meanings. A substantial contribution to the literature on meaning and intentionality, this important study will be of particular interest to philosophers of language and mind and could be used in graduate-level seminars in these areas. The book will also appeal to readers in linguistics and the other cognitive sciences.

First sentence: At its most extreme, semantic, or meaning, holism is the doctrine that all of the inferential properties of a token in language or though constitute its meaning.

Year

1995

Language

English

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Editions

2

Pages

350

ISBN

9780521498876

Data source: Wikidata