The Problem of the Essential Indexical - Hardcover

Perry, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1575862468 ISBN 13: 9781575862460

Publisher: The Center for the Study of Language and Information Publications, 2000

Synopsis

This book includes famous papers such as 'The Problem of the Essential Indexical' and 'Frege on Demonstratives' and 'Cognitive Significance and New Theories of Reference'; papers co-authored with Mark Crimmins ('The Prince and the Phone Booth') and David Israel ('Fodor on Psychological Explanations') and related papers on situation semantics, direct reference, and the structure of belief. Perry has added 'afterwords' that discuss responses to his work by Gareth Evans, Robert Stalnaker, Barbara Partee, Howard Wettstein and others. The word 'I' is called an 'indexical' which means who it stands for depends on who says it, not just on its meaning. Other indexicals are 'you', 'here' and 'now'. Perry discusses how these words work, and why they express important philosophical thoughts. He claims that indexicals pose a challenge to traditional assumptions about language and thought, and for that reason a number of these papers sparked lively debates.

About this title

Book Description

This book includes famous papers such as 'The Problem of the Essential Indexical' and 'Frege on Demonstratives' and 'Cognitive Significance and New Theories of Reference' and related papers on situation semantics, direct reference, and the structure of belief.

From the Back Cover

A collection of twelve essays by John Perry and two essays he co-authored, this book deals with various problems related to "self-locating beliefs": the sorts of beliefs one expresses with indexicals and demonstratives, like "I" and "this". In the early essays, Perry argues that an account of these beliefs requires us to distinguish what is believed from how it is believed, and the rest of the essays discuss various aspects and implications of that distinction and issues closely related to it. Included with such well-known essays as "Frege on Demonstratives", "The Problem of the Essential Indexical", "From Worlds to Situations", and "The Prince and the Phone Booth" are a number of important essays that have been less accessible and that discuss important aspects of Perry's views, which stem from the area of thought referred to as "Critical Referentialism" on the philosophy of language and the philosophy of mind. In addition, postscripts have been added to a number of the essays discussing criticisms by authors such as Gareth Evans and Robert Stalnaker.

Edition details

• Publisher: The Center for the Study of Language and Information Publications
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1575862468
• ISBN 13: 9781575862460
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 300