Maximilian De Gaynesford

I

The Meaning of the First Person Term

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

I is perhaps the most important and the least understood of our everyday expressions. This is a constant source of philosophical confusion. Max de Gaynesford offers a remedy: he explains what this expression means, its logical form and its inferential role. He thereby shows the way to an understanding of how we express first-personal thinking. He dissolves various myths about how I refers, to the effect that it is a pure indexical. His central claim is that the key to understanding I is that it is the same kind of expression as the other singular personal pronouns, you and he/she: a deictic term, whose reference depends on making an individual salient. He addresses epistemological questions as well as semantic questions, and shows how they interrelate. The book thus not only resolves a key issue in philosophy of language, but promises to be of great use to people working on problems in other areas of philosophy.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Oxford University Press, USA
• Seitenzahl: 212
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. Mai 2006
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 244mm x 164mm x 22mm
• Gewicht: 415g
• ISBN-13: 9780199287826
• ISBN-10: 0199287821
• Artikelnr.: 22094179

Autorenporträt

Maximilian de Gaynesford, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia

Inhaltsangabe

I. Questions about the Meaning of I
1: Historical Background
2: Questions of Reference
3: Questions of Expression
4: Questions of Logic
5: Interim Conclusion
II. The Meaning of I
6: Logical Character
7: Inferential Role
8: Referential Function (I)
9: Referential Function (II)
10: Expressive Use
11: Communicative Role
12: Conclusion
Appendix I: Analytic Table of Contents
Appendix II: Recurrent Terms of Art