Thought and Reference - Hardcover

Bach, Kent

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198249837 ISBN 13: 9780198249832

Publisher: Clarendon Press, 1988

Synopsis

This book takes an approach to the perennial problems of reference and singular terms by separating the underlying issues into different levels of analysis. The split-level approach includes an account of singular thought, a systematic application of recent work in the theory of speech acts, and a partial revival of Russell's analysis of singular terms. Criticisms of competing views are provided as well.

About this title

Review

"Bach's account of reference is systematic and detailed....Although in no way trivial or superficial, Thought and Reference look like a healthy resurgence of common sense. Such a model of clarity should at least provide refreshing stimuli for those wallowing in the deepening mire of recent technicalities."--David Freeman, Oxford University "A powerful and persuasive defence of a particular point of view of the relations between semantics and pragmatics, and an important contribution to the field."--Times Higher Education Supplement "Bach provides an interesting, and sometimes entertaining, survey of the various 'referential intentions' that might determine reference...Bach is largely successful in arguing in detail that a number of debates concerning the senses of referring expressions, or of sentences that contain them, turn on a neglect of the distinction between questions concerning the meaning or reference of linguistic entities and questions concerning what linguistic entities are (even standardly) used for."--Inquiry "An ambitious book....Will be of interest to philosophers of language and linguists studying semantics and pragmatics....It is also important because it represents a flow of ideas and distinctions from linguistics towards philosophy, when the traditional flow has been in the other direction."--Language "A subtle and convincing analysis...especially interesting are his critiques of the positions of Strawson, Evans, Searle, Donnellan, Kripke and Burge."--Dialectica "Stimulates and illuminates."--Times Literary Supplement "Bach's account of reference is systematic and detailed....Although in no way trivial or superficial, Thought and Reference look like a healthy resurgence of common sense. Such a model of clarity should at least provide refreshing stimuli for those wallowing in the deepening mire of recent technicalities."--David Freeman, Oxford University "A powerful and persuasive defence of a particular point of view of the relations between semantics and pragmatics, and an important contribution to the field."--Times Higher Education Supplement "Bach provides an interesting, and sometimes entertaining, survey of the various 'referential intentions' that might determine reference...Bach is largely successful in arguing in detail that a number of debates concerning the senses of referring expressions, or of sentences that contain them, turn on a neglect of the distinction between questions concerning the meaning or reference of linguistic entities and questions concerning what linguistic entities are (even standardly) used for."--Inquiry "An ambitious book....Will be of interest to philosophers of language and linguists studying semantics and pragmatics....It is also important because it represents a flow of ideas and distinctions from linguistics towards philosophy, when the traditional flow has been in the other direction."--Language "A subtle and convincing analysis...especially interesting are his critiques of the positions of Strawson, Evans, Searle, Donnellan, Kripke and Burge."--Dialectica "Stimulates and illuminates."--Times Literary Supplement "Bach's account of reference is systematic and detailed....Although in no way trivial or superficial, Thought and Reference look like a healthy resurgence of common sense. Such a model of clarity should at least provide refreshing stimuli for those wallowing in the deepening mire of recent technicalities."--David Freeman, Oxford University "A powerful and persuasive defence of a particular point of view of the relations between semantics and pragmatics, and an important contribution to the field."--Times Higher Education Supplement "Bach provides an interesting, and sometimes entertaining, survey of the various 'referential intentions' that might determine reference...Bach is largely successful in arguing in detail that a number of debates concerning the senses of referring expressions, or of sentences that contain them, turn on a neglect of the distinction between questions concerning the meaning or reference of linguistic entities and questions concerning what linguistic entities are (even standardly) used for."--Inquiry "An ambitious book....Will be of interest to philosophers of language and linguists studying semantics and pragmatics....It is also important because it represents a flow of ideas and distinctions from linguistics towards philosophy, when the traditional flow has been in the other direction."--Language "A subtle and convincing analysis...especially interesting are his critiques of the positions of Strawson, Evans, Searle, Donnellan, Kripke and Burge."--Dialectica "Stimulates and illuminates."--Times Literary Supplement "Bach's account of reference is systematic and detailed....Although in no way trivial or superficial, Thought and Reference look like a healthy resurgence of common sense. Such a model of clarity should at least provide refreshing stimuli for those wallowing in the deepening mire of recent technicalities."--David Freeman, Oxford University "A powerful and persuasive defence of a particular point of view of the relations between semantics and pragmatics, and an important contribution to the field."--Times Higher Education Supplement "Bach provides an interesting, and sometimes entertaining, survey of the various 'referential intentions' that might determine reference...Bach is largely successful in arguing in detail that a number of debates concerning the senses of referring expressions, or of sentences that contain them, turn on a neglect of the distinction between questions concerning the meaning or reference of linguistic entities and questions concerning what linguistic entities are (even standardly) used for."--Inquiry "An ambitious book....Will be of interest to philosophers of language and linguists studying semantics and pragmatics....It is also important because it represents a flow of ideas and distinctions from linguistics towards philosophy, when the traditional flow has been in the other direction."--Language "A subtle and convincing analysis...especially interesting are his critiques of the positions of Strawson, Evans, Searle, Donnellan, Kripke and Burge."--Dialectica "Stimulates and illuminates."--Times Literary Supplement

From the Back Cover

The book also provides energetic, constructive criticism of competing views, including those of Evans, Strawson, Donnellan, and Kripke.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarendon Press
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198249837
• ISBN 13: 9780198249832
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 314