Direct reference : from language to thought

Bibliographic Information

Direct reference : from language to thought

François Récanati

Blackwell, 1993

  • : pbk

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Note

Bibliography: p. [403]-412

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

ISBN 9780631181545

Description

In this book Professor Recanati sets out to defend and systematize the much-discussed "theory of direct reference", according to which the contribution made by a referential term, (for example, a proper name or a demonstrative) to the proposition expressed by the sentence where it occurs is its reference. To deal with the objections traditionally levelled against that theory, he puts forward a general account of "de re" thoughts and communication which blends insights from both the Fregean and the Russellian traditions. In the second part of the book, recent advances in pragmatics are presented and used to shed light on the referential/attributive distinction (with respect to both definite descriptions and indexicals) and belief reports. New treatments of some of the major topics in the philosophy of mind and language are offered along the way.

Table of Contents

  • Part 1 Direct reference in language and thought: "de re" communication - direct reference and linguistic meaning - rigidity "de jure", singular propositions and thoughts, the communication of "de re" thoughts
  • from language to thought - linguistic and psychological modes of presentation, indexicals in thought
  • "de re" thoughts - "de re" modes of presentation, egocentric concepts vs encyclopedia entries
  • proper names - the meaning of proper names, answering Kripke's objections, proper names in thought
  • the two-component pictures, a defence - narrow content and psychological explanation, externalism and the two-component picture. Part 2 The pragmatics of direct reference: methodological preliminaries - truth-conditional pragmatics, primary pragmatic processes. Appendix Availability and the scope principle: referential/attributive - the referential use of definite descriptions, the descriptive use of indexicals
  • belief reports - belief reports and conversational implicatures, belief reports and the semantics of "that" clauses, comparison with other accounts, how ambiguous are belief sentences?
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780631206347

Description

This volume puts forward a distinct new theory of direct reference, blending insights from both the Fregean and the Russellian traditions, and fitting the general theory of language understanding used by those working on the pragmatics of natural language

Table of Contents

Preface. Part I: Direct Reference in Language and Thought. I.1 De re Communication. 1. Direct Reference and Linguistic Meaning: Rigidity de jure. . 2. Singular Propositions and Thoughts. 3. The Communication of de re Thoughts. I.2 From Language to Thought. 4. Linguistic and Psychological Modes of Presentation. 5. The Meaning and Cognitive Significance of Indexical Expressions. I.3 De re Thoughts. 6. De re Modes of Presentation. 7. Egocentric Concepts vs. Encyclopedia Entries. I.4 Proper Names. 8. The Meaning of Proper Names. 9. Answering Kripke's Objections. 10. Proper Names in Thought. I.5 The Two-Component Picture: A Defence. 11. Narrow Content and Psychological Explanation. 12. Externalism and the Two-Component Picture. Part II: The Pragmatics of Direct Reference. II.1 Methodological Preliminaries. 13. Truth-Conditional Pragmatics. 14. Primary Pragmatic Processes. II.2 Referential/Attributive. 15. The Referential Use of Definite Descriptions. 16. The Descriptive Use of Indexicals. II.3 Belief Reports. 17. Belief Reports and Conversational Implicatures. 18. Belief Reports and the Semantics of That-Clauses. 19. Comparison with Other Accounts. 20. How Ambiguous are Belief Sentences?. Bibliography. Index.

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