Philosophy of language Books

Book SynopsisElementary set theory accustoms the students to mathematical abstraction, includes the standard constructions of relations, functions, and orderings, and leads to a discussion of the various orders of infinity. The material on logic covers not only the standard statement logic and first-order predicate logic but includes an introduction to formal systems, axiomatization, and model theory. The section on algebra is presented with an emphasis on lattices as well as Boolean and Heyting algebras. Background for recent research in natural language semantics includes sections on lambda-abstraction and generalized quantifiers. Chapters on automata theory and formal languages contain a discussion of languages between context-free and context-sensitive and form the background for much current work in syntactic theory and computational linguistics. The many exercises not only reinforce basic skills but offer an entry to linguistic applications of mathematical concepts. For upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students in theoretical linguistics, computer-science students with interests in computational linguistics, logic programming and artificial intelligence, mathematicians and logicians with interests in linguistics and the semantics of natural language.Table of ContentsPreface. Part A. Set Theory. 1. Basic Concepts of Set Theory. 2. Relations and Functions. 3. Properties of Relations. 4. Infinities. Appendix A1. Part B. Logic and Formal Systems. 5. Basic Concepts of Logic. 6.Statement Logic. 7. Predicate Logic. 8. Formal Systems, Axiomatization, and Model Theory. Appendix B1. Appendix BII. Part C. Algebra. 9. Basic Concepts of Algebra. 10. Operational Structures. 11. Lattices. 12. Boolean and Heyting Algebras. Part D. English as a Formal Language. 13. Basic Concepts of Formal Languages. 14. Generalized Quantifiers. 15. Intensionality. Part E. Languages, Grammars, and Automata. 16. Basic Concepts of Languages, Grammars, and Automata. 17. Finite Automata, Regular Languages and Type 3 Grammars. 18. Pushdown Automata, Context-Free Grammars and Languages. 19. Turing Machines, Recursively Enumberable Languages, and Type 0 Grammars. 20. Linear Bounded Automata, Context-Sensitive Languages and Type 1 Grammars. 21. Languages Between Context-Free and Context-Sensitive. 22. Transformational Grammars. Appendix EI. Appendix EII. Review Problems. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWriting clearly and avoiding jargon, Dilman investigates Wittgenstein's understanding of the relation between language and reality - i.e. between "the realities" we refer to, speak about and try to understand. Dilman discusses this topic in depth and at the same time covers a broad ground. He appreciates the following different aspects: philosophical skepticism about the existence of the various categories of things and our knowledge of them, about the reality of the logic of the language we speak and of the forms of our reasoning, philosophy's contribution to our understanding of the world and of ourselves, and the contributions of the arts to such an understanding.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPar parole, nous entendons le langage en tant qu’il est nôtre : le langage tel qu’existant. Le propos du livre est d’en scruter la phénoménalité et la constitution. La parole apparaît dans le vouloir de parole, dans l’acte de parole, dans l’événement de parole. Elle apparaît telle quelle dans des actes de langage plus remarquables et plus remarquablement humains que d’autres. Elle apparaît, de plus, comme parole “aussi bien” vive qu’écrite, comme parole faite texte aussi bien que comme parole confiée à la voix. Elle apparaît aussi comme acte de dévoilement et événement de dévoilement, et donc comme liée à une économie de la vérité. Ces quelques affirmations valent dans l’élément de l’a priori : elles valent partout, toujours et pour tous. Encore faut-il leur adjoindre une force épochale. Au temps du nihilisme, la mort de la vérité entraîne une certaine agonie de la parole. La parole ne pourrait certes mourir que si l’homme lui-même mourrait. Mais pour ceux qui savent la parole en crise, il est des paroles qui permettent plus que d’autres de survivre au nihilisme. Par exemple l’acte liturgique de parole. Par exemple la parole poétique. Et certainement toute parole liée au travail de la pensée.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book investigates the study of World Englishes from the perspective of Cultural Linguistics, a theoretical and analytical framework for cultural cognition, cultural conceptualisations and language that employs and expands on the analytical tools and theoretical advancements in a number of disciplines, including cognitive psychology/science, anthropology, distributed cognition, and complexity science. The field of World Englishes has long focused on the sociolinguistic and applied linguistic study of varieties of English. Cultural Linguistics is now opening a new venue for research on World Englishes by exploring cultural conceptualisations underlying different varieties of English. The book explores ways in which the analytical framework of Cultural Linguistics may be employed to study varieties of English around the globe.Trade Review“The volume is an impressive achievement and I was pleasantly surprised by the degree of innovation and methodological creativity apparent in many of the contributions. … the volume highlights the astonishing diversity and uniqueness of World Englishes and is hugely inspiring in terms of its scope. … Cultural Linguistics and World Englishes provides ample proof that Cultural Linguistics is not only alive but also open to continuous theoretical and methodological innovations and advancements … .” (Sven Leuckert, English World-Wide, Vol. 43 (3), 2022)Table of ContentsChapter 1. Cultural Linguistics and world Englishes.- Chapter 2. Australian Aboriginal English and Linguistic Inquiry.- Chapter 3. A Corpus-based Exploration of Aboriginal Australian Cultural Conceptualisations in John Bodey’s The Blood Berry Vine.- Chapter 4. Re-schematization of Chinese Xiao (filial piety) across Cultures and Generations.- Chapter 5. “So you’re One of those Vegetarians?” Emergence of the Korean English.- Chapter 6. Don’t kiasu and rush ok? A Cultural-Linguistic take on the Interaction Between Loanwords and Constructions in World Englishes.- Chapter 7. ‘Till Death Do Us Wed’1 – About Ghost Marriages and Chicken Rrides in Hong Kong English.- Chapter 8. Decoding yuán and duyên across Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian cultural practices.- Chapter 9. Bilingual Creativity in Saudi English.- Chapter 10. A Space for Everybody? Conceptualisations of the Hijras in Indian English as a Showcase for Gendered Space in Indian Society.- Chapter 11. Family Matters: Cultural-linguistic Investigations into the Domain of Family in Indian English.- Chapter 12. "Cultural Conceptualizations of Yoga in Indian and American English: A Corpus-Based Study".- Chapter 13. Expressive and Reserved Cultures: British and American Pride Clusters.- Chapter 14. The Interplay of Blended Languages and Blended Cultures in Memes: Cultural Conceptualisations Used by Serbian Speakers of English.- Chapter 15. ‘A Successful Business Negotiation is Resource Sharing’: Investigating Brazilian and German Cultural Conceptualisations in Conceptual Scripts.- Chapter 16. ‘My Muthi is YourAanswer’ – A Cultural Linguistic Analysis of Healers, Herbalists, Sangomas and (witch) Doctors in Black South African English Classifieds.- Chapter 17. Culture-specific Conceptualisations of Corruption in African English: Linguistic Analyses and Pragmatic Applications.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book examines practices on the relationship between sign and meaning in the Pre-Imperial period of China from the semiotics perspective. Although the Chinese civilization did not develop a comprehensive semiotics system in that period, they are highly semiotic in many ways. The thinking and application of signs of Chinese people can be found in many classics, such as The Book of Changes, The Analects of Confucius, Tao De Jing and Zhuangzi. This book begins its study by re-examining the semiotic thoughts contained in The Book of Changes and inquiries into the thoughts of the major philosophers of different schools. It provides insights into the findings of these philosophers concerning the relationship between sign and meaning. In particular, it concentrates on how the prosperity of the various contending semiotic thoughts complemented each other in forming a sign system. In addition, the book also emphasizes the wholeness and associativity of observing things and studying relevant signs of Chinese people. As the first monograph in any language to systematically summarize Chinese semiotic thought in the Pre-Imperial period, this book helps promote understanding of the traditional Chinese culture and mindset.Table of ContentsSemiotic Significance of Zhouyi.- Confucian’s Thoughts on Semiotics.- Semiotic Thoughts in Taoism.- Semiotic Thoughts of the School of Names and Mohist School.- The Endgame of Pre-imperial Semiotic Thoughts.

Read more less