Philosophy of language Books

Book SynopsisNow in its third edition, Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction introduces students to the main issues and theories in twenty-first-century philosophy of language, focusing specifically on linguistic phenomena. Author William G. Lycan structures the book into four general parts. Part I, Reference and Referring, includes topics such as Russell''s Theory of Descriptions (and its objections), Donnellan''s distinction, problems of anaphora, the Description Theory of proper names, Searle''s Cluster Theory, and the Causal-Historical Theory. Part II, Theories of Meaning, surveys the competing theories of linguistic meaning and compares their various advantages and liabilities. Part III, Pragmatics and Speech Acts, introduces the basic concepts of linguistic pragmatics and includes a detailed discussion of the problem of indirect force. Part IV, The Expressive and the Figurative, examines various forms of expressive language and what metaphorical meaning is aTrade Review"An authoritative, pedagogically sensitive and superbly clear introduction to the central issues of the philosophy of language."Paul Boghossian, New York University, USA"An authoritative, pedagogically sensitive and superbly clear introduction to the central issues of the philosophy of language."Paul Boghossian, New York University, USATable of Contents1. Introduction: Meaning and Reference Part 1: Reference and Referring 2. Definite Descriptions 3. Proper Names: The Description Theory 4. Proper Names: Direct Reference and the Causal–Historical Theory Part II: Theories of Meaning 5. Traditional Theories of Meaning 6. "Use" Theories 7. Psychological Theories: Grice's Program 8. Verificationism 9. Truth-Condition Theories: Davidson's Program 10. Truth-Condition Theories: Possible Worlds and Intensional Semantics Part III: Pragmatics and Speech Acts 11. Semantic Pragmatics 12. Speech Acts and Illocutionary Force 13. Implicative Relations Part IV: The Expressive and the Figurative 14. Expressive Language 15. Metaphor Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAn impassioned case for argument’s central role in human life, by one of America’s most distinguished cultural criticsTrade Review“[A] bold change of perspective. . . . When Siegel writes that ‘to exist is to argue your existence’ . . . he makes an important point.”—Costica Bradatan, Commonweal“Perhaps more than any other commentary, Why Argument Matters illuminates the root causes of our partisan, venomous, irrational times—and yet somehow rescues from the morass the true nature of argument, its power and beauty.”—Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House “This is inarguably the book for this moment of nonstop contentiousness. Siegel argues convincingly that argument is not only as American as apple pie, it is an expression of the universal desire for improvement, for which argument is a prerequisite. And he demonstrates that judgments about art, which are supposedly somehow beyond argument, are not.”—George F. Will, Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist “There is an old saying that the aim of an argument is not victory but progress, which is a mark of humility. Siegel adds that with humility can come playfulness, and a human connection that makes argument not just purposeful but joyful. In these low times, when censorious sanctimony passes for intelligent argument, his book revives an expansive liberal spirit of disagreement without which democracy is doomed.”—Sean Wilentz, Princeton University “Lee Siegel has written an eloquent and intellectually stimulating argument, with far-ranging examples full of witty surprises. It’s balanced, compassionate and wise—a true healer in the current, clamorous moment.”—Phillip Lopate, Columbia University “A book like this has never mattered more. Siegel guides us through the historical and philosophical roots of intellectual sparring with great expertise and an infectious vigor. But more than that, he shows us how argument, when done right, can be among the richest forms of human connection. This is a much-needed treatise from one of the most formidable cultural critics of our time.”—Meghan Daum, author of The Problem with Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars “Why Argument Matters is a robust foray into the nature of argument, from antiquity to the latest culture war clashes. With his impressive range and often thrilling connections, Lee Siegel also makes an argument for himself as one of our most vibrant and least predictable critics.”—Sam Lipsyte, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisWittgenstein is arguably the greatest philosopher of the last hundred years and scepticism is one of the central problems that modern philosophy faces. This collection is the first to be devoted to an examination of how that great philosopher''s work bears on this fundamental philosophical problem. Wittgenstein''s reaction to scepticism is complex, articulating both a sense that sceptical problems are ultimately unreal and a sense that scepticism teaches us something about the fundamental character of the human predicament. The essays, specially written for this collection by distinguished philosophers and commentators on Wittgenstein, explore that reaction, addressing, in particular, scepticism about the existence of the external world and of other minds. In doing so, it explores issues not only in theory of knowledge but also in metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, language, perception and literature, as well as raising questions about the nature of philosophy itself.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION, Denis McManus; Chapter 1 WITTGENSTEINIAN CERTAINTIES, Crispin Wright; Chapter 2 SCEPTICISM AND PRAGMATISM, Akeel Bilgrami; Chapter 3 WITTGENSTEIN'S REFUTATION OF IDEALISM, Michael Williams; Chapter 4 VARIETIES OF SCEPTICISM, James Conant; Chapter 5 SOLIPSISM AND SCEPTICISM IN THE TRACTATUS, Denis McManus; Chapter 6 WITTGENSTEIN AND THE QUESTION OF LINGUISTIC IDEALISM, Ilham Dilman; Chapter 7 WHAT ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS FOR?, Jane Heal; Chapter 8 UNDERSTANDING SCEPTICISM, Andrea Kern; Chapter 9 LIVING WITH THE PROBLEM OF THE OTHER, Edward Minar; Chapter 10 THE EVERYDAY ALTERNATIVE TO SCEPTICISM, Marie McGinn; Chapter 11 SCEPTICISM AND TRAGEDY, Anthony Palmer; Chapter 12 REPLY TO FOUR Chapter S, Stanley Cavell;

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Book SynopsisPresents a study that systematizes and develops Nelson Goodman's philosophy of language. This title deals with various issues, such as metaphor.Trade ReviewSystematizes and develops in a comprehensive study Nelson Goodman's philosophy of language. The Goodman-Elgin point of view is important and sophisticated, and deals with a number of issues, such as metaphor, ignored by most other theories. --John R. Perry, Stanford University

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, semantical partiality has emerged as an important concept in philosophical logic as well as in the study of natural language semantics. This is a study in spatial model theory, the theory of partially defined models.

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Book SynopsisContributions from an international team of experts revisit and update the concept of linguistic ecology in order to critically examine current theoretical approaches to language contact. Language is understood as a part of complex socio-historical-cultural systems, and interaction between the different dimensions and levels of these systems is considered to be essential for specific language forms. This book presents a uniform, abstract model of linguistic ecology based on, among other things, two concepts of Edmund Husserl''s philosophy (parts and wholes, and foundation). It considers the individual speaker in the specific communication situation to be the essential heuristic basis of linguistic analysis. The chapters present and employ a new, transparent and accessible contact linguistic vocabulary to aid reader comprehension, and explore a wide range of language contact situations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. This book will be fascinatingTrade Review'Following an extraordinarily thorough editorial overview, the topics covered here range from conversation and code-mixing to language contact writ large. This is a valuable treatment of an important area.' John Edwards, Editor, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural DevelopmentTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction and Theoretical Frame: 1. Linguistic ecology and language contact: conceptual evolution, interrelatedness, and parameters Ralph Ludwig, Peter Mühlhäusler and Steve Pagel; 2. On the notion of natural in ecological linguistics Françoise Gadet and Steve Pagel; Part II. On the Ecology of Speaker and Space from Situational to Intermediate Ecology: 3. An interactionist perspective on the ecology of linguistic practices: the situated and embodied production of talk Lorenza Mondada; 4. Approaching language in urban interactions ecologically: the case of Spanish in Lima Juan Carlos Godenzzi; Part III. On the Ecology of Space and Time, Traditions in the Formation of Macro-Ecologies: 5. The historical formation of a macro-ecology: the case of the Levant Cyril Aslanov; 6. Spanish anthroponomy from an ecological linguistic view: the Antillean society in the early sixteenth century Silke Jansen; Part IV. On the Ecology of Language and Speaker, the Hybridization of Language and Discourse: 7. Reflections on discourse ecology and language contact: the crucial role of some scalar terms Sibylle Kriegel, Ralph Ludwig and Tabea Salzmann; 8. Language mixing and ecology in Africa: focus on Camfranglais and Sheng Anne Schröder and Philip W. Rudd; 9. Hybrid speech of Francophone groups in Cairo: from macro-level ecology to discourse Cynthia Dermarkar, Françoise Gadet, Ralph Ludwig and Stefan Pfänder; 10. The opposite of an anti-Creole? Why modern Chamorro is not a new language Steve Pagel; Part V. The Multiplicity of Ecological Parameters, Echoing the Theoretical Frame and Going Beyond: 11. Contact between typologically different languages Peter Mühlhäusler; 12. Theoretical and practical aspects of ecological language planning Peter Mühlhäusler.

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Book SynopsisNineteenth-century German classical philology underpins many structures of the modern humanities. This book shows how a language of love and a longing for closeness with a personified antiquity has lastingly shaped modern professional reading habits, notions of biography, and the self-image of scholars and teachers.Table of ContentsIntroduction: feeling and philology; 1. The potter's daughter: longing, Bildung, and the self; 2. From the symposium to the seminar: language of love and language of institutions; 3. 'So that he unknowingly and delicately mirrors himself in front of us, as the beautiful often do': Schleiermacher's Plato; 4. 'Enthusiasm dwells only in one-sidedness': knowledge of antiquity and professional philology; 5. 'The most instructive form in which we encounter an understanding of life': the age of biography; 6. The life of the Centaur: Wilamowitz, biography, Nietzsche; Epilogue: on keeping a distance.

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Book SynopsisAn accessible and thorough introduction to implicatures, a key topic in pragmatics. It will appeal to students and teachers in linguistics, applied linguistics, psychology and sociology, who are interested in how language is used for communication, and how children and second language learners develop pragmatic skills.Trade Review'… will be indispensable for those focussing on implicatures in teaching or research. Most helpful is its consideration of implicatures from within the three different frameworks. I commend the authors for this useful contribution to the field of pragmatics.' Todd A. Scacewater, Journal of Language, Culture, and Religion'Given the extent to which Implicatures manages not only to provide a concise overview of the topic, but also to introduce novel perspectives in relation to it, it is bound to become an indispensable resource for both newcomers and established researchers in these fields. I am certain that several of its main arguments … have a real potential to push our understanding of the issues that surround this notoriously elusive, but at the same time all too interesting, category of linguistic meaning even further.' Stavros Assimakopoulos, LanguageTable of ContentsPart I. Theoretical Foundations: 1. Ordinary language philosophy and the birth of pragmatics; 2. Linguistic theory and pragmatics; 3. Relevance theory and the broadening of pragmatics to explicit meaning; Part II. Types of Implicatures: 4. Particularized Conversational Implicatures: why there are conversational implicatures; 5. Conventional implicature and presupposition: formal semantics and pragmatics; 6. Generalized conversational implicatures: Gricean, neo-Gricean and post-Gricean pragmatics; Part III. Empirical Evidence: 7. Implicatures and language processing; 8. The acquisition of implicatures in the course of first language development; 9. Implicatures and second language acquisition; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe phenomenon of multimodality is central to our everyday interaction. ''Hybrid'' modes of communication that combine traditional uses of language with imagery, tagging, hashtags and voice-recognition tools have become the norm. Bringing together concepts of meaning and communication across a range of subject areas, including education, media studies, cultural studies, design and architecture, the authors uncover a multimodal grammar that moves away from rigid and language-centered understandings of meaning. They present the first framework for describing and analysing different forms of meaning across text, image, space, body, sound and speech. Succinct summaries of the main thinkers in the fields of language, communications and semiotics are provided alongside rich examples to illustrate the key arguments. A history of media including the genesis of digital media, Unicode, Emoji, XML and HTML, MP3 and more is covered. This book will stimulate new thinking about the nature of meaningTrade Review'… this is a book that could only be written by authors such as Cope and Kalantzis, who have themselves lived through the sheer breadth of the lines of development they bring to readers' attention, making connections and leaps which would in the normal, more circumscribed, business of everyday research rarely occur.' John A. Bateman, Journal of PragmaticsTable of ContentsPart 0. Meaning; Part I. Reference; Part II. Agency; Part III. Structure.

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Book SynopsisAn ancient metaphor likens attention to an archer pulling her bow - the self directing her mind through attention. Yet both the existence of such a self, and the impact of attention on the mind, have been debated for millennia. Advancements in science mean that we now have a better understanding of what attention is and how it works, but philosophers and scientists remain divided as to its impact on the mind. This book takes a strong stance: attention is the key to the self, consciousness, perception, action, and knowledge. While it claims that we cannot perceive novel stimuli without attention, it argues that we can act on and experience the world without attention. It thus provides a new way of thinking about the mind - as something that can either shape itself through attention or engage with the world as it is given, relying on its habits and skills.Trade Review'In this concise, lucid book … Jennings offers a reconciliation between agent-centered freedom and compatibilism. Philosophical psychology is enriched by this valuable exploration.' J. R. Shook, ChoiceTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. The philosophical landscape on attention; 3. Attention, mental causation, and the self; 4. Attention, perception, and knowledge; 5. Attention, consciousness, and habitual behavior; 6. Attention, action, and responsibility; 7. Conclusion; Appendix A. Mental causation and its problems; Appendix B. The conceptual history of top-down attention; Appendix C. Top-down attention and the brain; Appendix D. Working memory and attention.

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Book SynopsisThe Neuroethics of Memory is a thematically integrated analysis and discussion of neuroethical questions about memory capacity and content, as well as interventions to alter it. These include: how does memory function enable agency, and how does memory dysfunction disable it? To what extent is identity based on our capacity to accurately recall the past? Could a person who becomes aware during surgery be harmed if they have no memory of the experience? How do we weigh the benefits and risks of brain implants designed to enhance, weaken or erase memory? Can a person be responsible for an action if they do not recall it? Would a victim of an assault have an obligation to retain a memory of this act, or the right to erase it? This book uses a framework informed by neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy combined with actual and hypothetical cases to examine these and related questions.Trade Review'Walter Glannon achieves a rare balance: the book is clear and detailed about the neuroscience of memory and is also insightful about the legal and ethical challenges that scientific advances entail. This is a very timely and useful book.' Nick Davis, Manchester Metropolitan University'Memory is central to who we are and how we act. Provoking and thoughtful, The Neuroethics of Memory explores the implications of the new technologies that could alter memory and may fundamentally change who we are.' Andrew Davidson, Medical Director, Melbourne Children's Trials Centre, Australia'The Neuroethics of Memory provides an insightful and well-argued analysis of the implications of memory research for ethical issues that arise in legal and medical arenas. Drawing on literature from neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, Walter Glannon gracefully illuminates some of the most difficult issues currently facing science and society.' Daniel L. Schacter, William R. Kenan, Jr Professor of Psychology, Harvard University'Walter Glannon has built a fascinating and wide-ranging account of memory. By channeling neurobiology, psychology, law, history, and philosophy, this book summarizes how memory defines who we are and forms the basis of our society. The result is a tour de force of neuroethics at its comprehensive best.' Julian Savulescu, Director of Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford'As a synthesis and critical analysis of current work in several disciplines, this book offers an unparalleled vision of how neuroethics scholarship on memory can be interdisciplinary, rigorous, forward-looking, and compelling.' Eric Racine, Neuroethics'For its clear style and its rigorous and sound analytical arguments, The Neuroethics of Memory is a candidate to become an indispensable companion for any research on the ethics of memory and its manipulation.' Andrea Lavazza, Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare EthicsTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Memory systems and memory stages; 2. Agency, identity and dementia; 3. Anesthesia, amnesia and recall; 4. Disorders of memory content and interventions; 5. Disorders of memory capacity and interventions; 6. Legal issues involving memory; Epilogue. The future of memory.

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Book SynopsisAbstract concepts are often embodied through metaphor. For example, we talk about moving through time in metaphorical terms, as if we were moving through space, allowing us to ''look back'' on past events. Much of the work on embodied metaphor to date has assumed a single set of universal, shared bodily experiences that motivate our understanding of abstract concepts. This book explores sources of variation in people''s experiences of embodied metaphor, including, for example, the shape and size of one''s body, one''s age, gender, state of mind, physical or linguistic impairments, personality, ideology, political stance, religious beliefs, and linguistic background. It focuses on the ways in which people''s experiences of metaphor fluctuate over time within a single communicative event or across a lifetime. Combining theoretical argument with findings from new studies, Littlemore analyses sources of variation in embodied metaphor and provides a deeper understanding of the nature of embTrade Review'Lucidly written and well argued, the monograph successfully shows us why this project is worth pursuing.' Shengxi Jin, Journal of PragmaticsTable of Contents1. 'I am trying to climb Everest in flip-flops.' What is embodied metaphor and where does it come from?; 2. 'Would you prefer a pencil or an antiseptic wipe?' What evidence is there for embodied metaphor and why is it important to consider this variation?; 3. 'I'm running on this soapy conveyor belt with people throwing wet sponges at me.' Which metaphors are embodied and when? Variation according to type, function and context; 4. 'This one sounds like a bell and this one sounds like when you're dead.' Age, and the developmental nature of embodied metaphor; 5. 'I did not know where I started and where I ended.' Different bodies: different minds? How handedness, body shape and gender affect the way we experience the world through metaphor; 6. 'Those cookies tasted of regret and rotting flesh.' Sensory metaphor and associated impairments and conditions; 7. 'Things come out of my mouth that shouldn't be there.' 'Altered minds': the impact of depression and psychological disorders on the way people experience the world through metaphor; 8. 'This is my body which will be given up for you.' Individual differences in personality, thinking style, political stance and religious beliefs; 9. 'Malodorous blacksmiths and lazy livers.' Cross-linguistic and cross-cultural variation in embodied metaphor; 10. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores how humor can be explained, in order to aid communication. Accessible to a wide readership of not only students and teachers of language and linguistics, but also those in related disciplines to which the understanding and use of humor is relevant, such as literature, psychology, anthropology, and the performing arts.Trade Review'A hilarious romp through a cornucopia of examples on a dizzying variety of subjects. Quintessential Nilsens' work!' Salvatore Attardo, Texas A & M University'… a must read for any of us in humor studies, English, and several other disciplines … the perfect complement to the former papers on each of the topics covered, all gathered in one readable and clearly written volume. The field of humor research is, as always, greatly enhanced by the Nilsens, and no library would be complete without their newest compilation.' Joyce M. Saltman, Professor Emeritus, Southern Connecticut State University'… it is a very interesting and concise reading … it is an essential reading for everyone who wants to gain a general perspective on humorous issues in important areas of human activity.' Roula Saltidou, The European Journal of Humour ResearchTable of Contents1. Introduction and overview; 2. Humor in anthropology; 3. Humor and art; 4. Humor and Business; 5. Humor and computer science; 6. Humor and education; 7. Humor and gender studies; 8. Humor and geography; 9. Humor and gerontology; 10. Humor and history; 11. Humor and journalism; 12. Humor and law; 13. Humor and linguistics; 14. Humor and literature; 15. Humor in medicine and health; 16. Humor and music; 17. Humor in names and naming; 18. Humor in the performing arts; 19. Humor and philosophy; 20. Humor in physical education and sports; 21. Humor and politics; 22. Humor and psychology; 23 Humor and religion; 24. Humor in rhetoric and composition; 25. Humor and sociology; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisAbstract concepts are often embodied through metaphor. For example, we talk about moving through time in metaphorical terms, as if we were moving through space, allowing us to ''look back'' on past events. Much of the work on embodied metaphor to date has assumed a single set of universal, shared bodily experiences that motivate our understanding of abstract concepts. This book explores sources of variation in people''s experiences of embodied metaphor, including, for example, the shape and size of one''s body, one''s age, gender, state of mind, physical or linguistic impairments, personality, ideology, political stance, religious beliefs, and linguistic background. It focuses on the ways in which people''s experiences of metaphor fluctuate over time within a single communicative event or across a lifetime. Combining theoretical argument with findings from new studies, Littlemore analyses sources of variation in embodied metaphor and provides a deeper understanding of the nature of embTrade Review'Lucidly written and well argued, the monograph successfully shows us why this project is worth pursuing.' Shengxi Jin, Journal of PragmaticsTable of Contents1. 'I am trying to climb Everest in flip-flops.' What is embodied metaphor and where does it come from?; 2. 'Would you prefer a pencil or an antiseptic wipe?' What evidence is there for embodied metaphor and why is it important to consider this variation?; 3. 'I'm running on this soapy conveyor belt with people throwing wet sponges at me.' Which metaphors are embodied and when? Variation according to type, function and context; 4. 'This one sounds like a bell and this one sounds like when you're dead.' Age, and the developmental nature of embodied metaphor; 5. 'I did not know where I started and where I ended.' Different bodies: different minds? How handedness, body shape and gender affect the way we experience the world through metaphor; 6. 'Those cookies tasted of regret and rotting flesh.' Sensory metaphor and associated impairments and conditions; 7. 'Things come out of my mouth that shouldn't be there.' 'Altered minds': the impact of depression and psychological disorders on the way people experience the world through metaphor; 8. 'This is my body which will be given up for you.' Individual differences in personality, thinking style, political stance and religious beliefs; 9. 'Malodorous blacksmiths and lazy livers.' Cross-linguistic and cross-cultural variation in embodied metaphor; 10. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisTaking as its starting point what is sometimes called ''the prison house of language'' - the widespread feeling that language falls terribly short when it comes to articulating the rich and disparate contents of the human mental tapestry - this book sets out a radically new view of the interplay between language, literature and mind. Shifting the focus from the literary text itself to literature as a case of human agency, it reconsiders a wide range of interdisciplinary issues including the move from world to mind, the existence or otherwise of a property of literariness or essence of art, the nature of literature as a unique output of human cognition and the possible distinctiveness of the mind that creates it. In constant dialogue with philosophy, linguistics and the cognitive sciences, this book offers an invaluable new treatment of literature and literary language, and sketches novel directions for literary study in the twenty-first century.Trade Review'Probably the best book on literature, language and mind I have ever read. It makes a case for genuinely reciprocal interdisciplinary practices and points the way to epistemologically more robust study in the arts and humanities. It will be hugely influential.' Tim Wharton, University of BrightonTable of ContentsPrologue; 1. The question of expressibility or how far it is possible to speak our mind; 2. Language, world and mind; 3. The curse of the phenomenal: a case from Kinaesthesia; 4. After structural essentialism what? Implications for the inadequacy of language thesis; 5. Literature as artifact v literature as a cognitive object. Implications for linguistic pessimism; 6. Literature as meaning v literature as experience; 7. Interdisciplinarity, theory and the sciences of mind; Afterword.

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Book SynopsisTransforming Early English shows how historical pragmatics can offer a powerful explanatory framework for the changes medieval English and Older Scots texts undergo, as they are transmitted over time and space. The book argues that formal features such as spelling, script and font, and punctuation - often neglected in critical engagement with past texts - relate closely to dynamic, shifting socio-cultural processes, imperatives and functions. This theme is illustrated through numerous case-studies in textual recuperation, ranging from the reinvention of Old English poetry and prose in the later medieval and early modern periods, to the eighteenth-century ''vernacular revival'' of literature in Older Scots.Trade Review'The questions that the book attempts to answer … are … extremely relevant, as any answers will have immediate and crucial import on the field of linguistics in general.' Marcin Krygier, Studia Anglica PosnaniensiaTable of ContentsPrologue. Snatched from the fire: the case of Thomas Percy; 1. On historical pragmatics; 2. Inventing the Anglo-Saxons; 3. 'Witnesses preordained by God': the reception of Middle English religious prose; 4. The great tradition: Langland, Gower, Chaucer; 5. Forging the nation: reworking older Scottish literature; 6. On textual transformations: Walter Scott and beyond.

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Book SynopsisHow did physicians come to dominate the medical profession? Lyn Bennett challenges the seemingly self-evident belief that scientific competence accounts for physicians'' dominance. Instead, she argues that the whole enterprise of learned medicine was, in large measure, facilitated by an intensely classical education that included extensive training in rhetoric, and that this rhetorical training is ultimately responsible for the achievement of professional dominance. Bennett examines previously unexplored connections among writers and genres as well as competing livelihoods and classes. Engaging the histories of rhetoric, medicine, literature, and culture throughout, she goes on to focus specifically on the work of women who professed as well as practiced medicine. Pointing to some of the ways women''s writing shapes realities of body, mind, and spirit as it negotiates social, cultural, and professional ideologies of gender, this book offers an important corrective to some long-held beliefs about women''s role in early modern discourse.Trade Review'Lyn Bennett's … detailed new book offers an original perspective on the development of the medical profession in the seventeenth century.' Aurélie Griffin, Modern Language ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction. 'Their plausible rhetoric'; Part I. Rhetoric and Medicine: 1. 'Another mans profession': physicians and clerics; 2. 'Onely the learned': physicians, empirics, and women; 3. 'An eloquent tongue': physicians and patients; Part II. The Woman Writer: 4. 'Publishing those truthes': women and affliction; 5. 'Hard words and rhetoricall phrases': women and learned medicine; 6. 'A bare physician stuft with words': women and domestic healing.

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Book SynopsisProvides a philosophical and historical critique of contemporary conceptions of physicalism, especially non-reductive, levels-based approaches to physicalist metaphysics. Challenging assumptions about the mind-body problem, this accessible book will interest scholars working in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of science.Trade ReviewAdvance praise: 'Physicalism Deconstructed is a beautifully clear and readable book that throws down the gauntlet for physicalists to accept the consequences of their core commitments. Kevin Morris advances an unexpectedly persuasive argument that the world according to physics really is all the world. This challenge to the layer cake view of reality cannot be ignored.' Thomas Polger, University of CincinnatiTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Supervenience and non-reductive physicalism; 2. Non-reductive physicalism and the exclusion problem; 3. Functional realization; 4. Subset realization; 5. Grounding and physicalism; 6. The rise of non-reductive physicalism; 7. The physicalist problematic reconsidered; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe philosophy of language is central to the concerns of those working across semantics, pragmatics and cognition, as well as the philosophy of mind and ideas. Bringing together an international team of leading scholars, this handbook provides a comprehensive guide to contemporary investigations into the relationship between language, philosophy, and linguistics. Chapters are grouped into thematic areas and cover a wide range of topics, from key philosophical notions, such as meaning, truth, reference, names and propositions, to characteristics of the most recent research in the field, including logicality of language, vagueness in natural language, value judgments, slurs, deception, proximization in discourse, argumentation theory and linguistic relativity. It also includes chapters that explore selected linguistic theories and their philosophical implications, providing a much-needed interdisciplinary perspective. Showcasing the cutting-edge in research in the field, this book is essTable of Contents1. Philosophy of Language: Definitions, Disciplines and Approaches Piotr Stalmaszczyk; Part I. The Past, Present, and Future of Philosophy of Language: 2. The History of the Philosophy of Language Before Frege Michael Losonsky; 3. How the Philosophy of Language Grew out of Analytic Philosophy Daniel W. Harris; 4. Philosophy of Language for the Twenty-First Century Scott Soames; Part II. Some Foundational Issues: 5. Philosophy of Language, Ontology and Logic Chris Fox; 6. Frege's Legacy in the Philosophy of Language and Mind Eros Corazza; 7. Metasemantics and Metapragmatics: Philosophical Foundations of Meaning Kasia M. Jaszczolt; 8. Internalist Perspectives on Language John Collins; 9. Semantic Content and Utterance Context: A Spectrum of Approaches Emma Borg and Sarah A. Fisher; 10. Semantic Minimalism and Contextualism in Light of the Logicality of Language Guillermo Del Pinal; Part III. From Truth to Vagueness: 11. Truth and Theories of Truth Panu Raatikainen; 12. Reference and Theories of Reference Genoveva Martí; 13. Names in Philosophy André Bazzoni; 14. Indexicals and Contextual Involvement Katarzyna Kijania-Placek; 15. Natural Kind Terms Luis Fernández Moreno; 16. Vagueness in Natural Language Joanna Odrowąż-Sypniewska; Part IV. Issues in Semantics and Pragmatics: 17. Entailment, Presupposition, Implicature Roberta Colonna Dahlman; 18. Speech Acts, Actions, and Events Brian Ball; 19. Propositions, Predication, and Assertion Peter Hanks; 20. Events in Semantics Alexander Williams; 21. Semantics and Generative Grammar Jarosław Jakielaszek; 22. Metasemantics: A Normative Perspective (and the Case of Mood) Manuel García-Carpintero; 23. The Normativity of Meaning and Content Alexander Miller; 24. The Semantics and Pragmatics of Value Judgments Andrés Soria Ruiz, Bianca Cepollaro and Isidora Stojanovic; 25. Slurs: Semantic and Pragmatic Theories of Meaning Leopold Hess; Part V. Philosophical Implications and Linguistic Theories: 26. Philosophical Implications of Generative Grammar Peter Ludlow; 27. Conceptual Semantics and its Implications for Philosophy of Language Ray Jackendoff; 28. Relevance Theory and the Philosophy of Language Robyn Carston; 29. Mental Files François Recanati; 30. Contemporary Discourse Studies and Philosophy of Language Piotr Cap; Part VI. Some Extensions: 31. The Philosophy of Argument Jean H. M. Wagemans; 32. Negation and Denial Stephen Mumford; 33. Deception: Lying and Beyond Marta Dynel; 34. Types and Definitions of Irony Eleni Kapogianni; 35. Philosophy of Language and Metaphor Esther Romero and Belén Soria; 36. Analytic Philosophy of Literature Jukka Mikkonen; 37. The Many Facets of Linguistic Relativity Antonio Blanco Salgueiro.

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Book SynopsisPragmatics the study of language in context, and of how we understand what other people say is a core subject in English language, linguistics, and communication studies. This textbook introduces the key topics in this fast-moving field, including metaphor, irony, politeness, disambiguation, and reference assignment. It walks the reader through the essential theories in pragmatics, including Grice, relevance theory, speech act theory, and politeness theory. Each chapter includes a range of illustrative examples, guiding readers from the basic principles to a thorough understanding of the topics. A dedicated chapter examines how research is conducted in pragmatics, providing students with resources and ideas for developing their own projects. Featuring exercises, a comprehensive glossary, and suggestions for further reading, this book is accessible to beginner undergraduates, including those with no prior knowledge of linguistics. It is an essential resource for courses in English lanTrade Review'Comprehensive but concise, full of complex concepts described in elegant terms, Pragmatics in English is a must-read for all students of pragmatics, and thoroughly recommended to academics in the field also.' Tim Wharton, Principal Lecturer in Linguistics, University of Brighton'Scott has produced a masterful introduction to the major pragmatic theories from the latter half of the twentieth century. These are presented in a highly accessible way, using fresh examples that enliven the descriptions of these frameworks, and which make it clear how these theories are relevant to students today.' Anne Bezuidenhout, Professor of Philosophy & Linguistics, University of South CarolinaTable of ContentsList of figures; List of tables; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. What is pragmatics?; 2. Speaker's meaning; 3. Speech act theory; 4. Gricean pragmatics; 5. Pragmatics beyond grice; 6. Relevance-theoretic pragmatics; 7. Applying relevance theory; 8. Figurative language; 9. Politeness; 10. Researching pragmatics; Glossary; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisWhich language should philosophers use: technical or common language? In a book as important for intellectual historians as it is for philosophers, Lodi Nauta addresses a vital question which still has resonance today: is the discipline of philosophy assisted or disadvantaged by employing a special vocabulary? By the Middle Ages philosophy had become a highly technical discipline, with its own lexicon and methods. The Renaissance humanist critique of this specialised language has been dismissed as philosophically superficial, but the author demonstrates that it makes a crucial point: it is through the misuse of language that philosophical problems arise. He charts the influence of this critique on early modern philosophers, including Hobbes and Locke, and shows how it led to the downfall of medieval Aristotelianism and the gradual democratization of language and knowledge. His book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the transition from medieval to modern philosophy.Trade Review'Nauta is among the most distinguished historians of philosophy today. His study breaks new ground by concentrating on a vital issue in the early modern rivalry between humanism and scholasticism which still has great resonance in modern academe: the advantages and disadvantages that accrue to philosophy, or any professionalized study, from employing a special technical vocabulary to discuss philosophical problems.' James Hankins, Harvard University'This book is a great and inspiring tour d'horizon into philosophical reflection on the use of language – and, consequently, on linguistic practice – from the emergence of Renaissance humanism to major thinkers such as Hobbes and Locke​. The author invites us into his novel and fascinating story of the genesis of Renaissance and Early Modern (and even contemporary) philosophy.' Jan Papy, Catholic University of LeuvenTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Early Humanist Critics of Scholastic Language: Francesco Petrarca and Leonardo Bruni; 2. From a Linguistic Point of View: Lorenzo Valla's Critique of Aristotelian-Scholastic Philosophy; 3. Giovanni Pontano on Language, Meaning, and Grammar; 4. Juan Luis Vives on Language, Knowledge, and the Topics; 5. Anti-Essentialism and the Rhetoricization of Knowledge: Mario Nizolio's Humanist Attack on Universals; 6. Skepticism and the Critique of Language in Francisco Sanches; 7. Thomas Hobbes and the Rhetoric of Common Language; 8. Between Private Signification and Common Use: Locke on Ideas, Words, and the Social Dimension of Language; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis concise and affordable anthology is designed for use as a textbook in both undergraduate and graduate courses in philosophy of language. It aims to provide a core of essential primary sources and may be used either on its own, or in conjunction with a secondary source.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsPrefaceI. Syntax and Semantics(The System Perspective) Noam Chomsky, “Knowledge of Language: Its Nature, Origin and Use” Gottlob Frege, “Ueber Sinn und Bedeutung” Bertrand Russell, “Descriptions” Donald Davidson, “Truth and Meaning” Saul Kripke, “Identity and Necessity” II. Mental States and Linguistic Content(The Knowledge Perspective)A. Meanings and Ideas H. Paul Grice, “Meaning” Jerry A. Fodor, “Propositional Attitudes” Daniel C. Dennett, “Three Kinds of Intentional Psychology” B. Skeptical Worries W.V. Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” Ludwig Wittgenstein, Selections from Philosophical Investigations III. Language and Speakers(The Use Perspective)A. Speech Acts John L. Austin, “Performative Utterances” John R. Searle, “What Is A Speech Act?” B. Speaker’s Meaning and Reference H. Paul Grice, “Logic and Conversation” Peter F. Strawson, “On Referring” Keith Donnellan, “Reference and Definite Descriptions” Donald Davidson, “What Metaphors Mean” Sources

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Book SynopsisSince ancient times, philosophers have written about "the will". But the will is more than a philosophic and scholarly topic. In our everyday speech, what do we mean when we speak of the "will"? Will-words turn up everywhere in the English language. We make wills. We exert our willpower. We are wilful at times but merely willing at others. Above all, will is there a hundred times a day, when we use the auxiliary verb "will" to express our intentions or expectations for the future, or simply to indicate the future tense. Yet it takes only a moment''s reflection to see that there''s a tremendous range of meaning here, and so something to think about. Moreover, all of us have wondered now and then, probably both as children and as adults, whether we are really free, and whether being free means being able to do what we want or being free of wants and desires or something else entirely. That is, we have all wrestled with the issue of free will in our informal, non-scholarly ways. Finally, we have probably all asked ourselves whether people who talk about will and willpower are all talking about the same thing or even talking sense. These are among the issues that Eva Brann puts at the centre of Un-Willing. She takes the whole range of questions about the will that are implicit in our everyday lives and everyday thinking, articulates them, shows us how they have been dealt with within the philosophic tradition and contemporary scientific thought -- and then wrestles with them herself.

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents new conceptual and experimental studies which investigate the connection between vagueness and rationality from various systematic directions, such as philosophy, linguistics, cognitive psychology, computing science, and economics. Vagueness in language use and cognition has traditionally been interpreted in epistemic or semantic terms. The standard view of vagueness specifically suggests that considerations of agency or rationality, broadly conceived, can be left out of the equation. Most recently, new literature on vagueness has been released which suggests that the standard view is inadequate and that considerations of rationality should factor into more comprehensive models of vagueness. The methodological approaches presented here are diverse, ranging from philosophical interpretations of rational credence for vagueness to adaptations of choice theory (dynamic choice theory, revealed preference models, social choice theory), probabilistic models of pragmatic reasoning (Bayesian pragmatics), evolutionary game theory, and conceptual space models of categorisation.Table of ContentsPart I: Vagueness in Rational Choice.- Vagueness and Imprecise Credence by Anna Mahtani.- Problems of Precision in Fuzzy Theories of Vagueness and Bayesian Epistemology by Nicholas J. J. Smith.- Regret, Sub-optimality, and Vagueness by Chrisoula Andreou.- Part II: Rationality in Vague Language Use and Cognition.- The Elusive Benefits of Vagueness: The Evidence so far by Matthew James Green and Kees van Deemter.- Towards an Ecology of Vagueness by José Pedro Correia and Michael Franke.- The Rationality of Vagueness by Igor Douven.- Semantic Indecision by Timoth W. Grinsell.- Grounding a Pragmatic Theory of Vagueness on Experimental Data: Semi-orders adn Weber's Law by Arnold Kochari and Robert van Rooij

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Book SynopsisArchitecture and urbanism seem to be "weak" disciplines, constantly struggling for a better understanding of their nature and disciplinary borders. The huge amount of metaphors appearing in the discourse of both not only reference to their creative nature but also indicate their weakness and the missing piece strengthening their own understanding: a definition of space for architecture and of city for urbanism. But using metaphors in this field implies a problem - though metaphors achieve to bring opposites together, there remains the question how literal they can actually become in order to relate to these subjects properly. In this volume, several authors from various fields using different approaches discuss this question.

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Book SynopsisThis past decade or so, the study of East Norse philology has been experiencing something of a renaissance. This volume contains twelve articles written by international scholars from seven different countries. Based on papers given at the Fourth International Conference for East Norse Philology held in Cologne in June 2019, this volume presents the latest research within areas such as Text Witness and Linguistics, Paleography as well as Codicology, Transmission, Adaptation, and Media Change. Three Crowns and Eleven Tears: East Norse Philology from Cologne is the fourth volume published by Selskab for Østnordisk Filologi Sällskap för östnordisk filologi, founded in Uppsala in 2013.

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Book SynopsisThis book is intended as counter-evidence to the perception that Linguistics is a domain of dusty schoolroom grammar. It follows that linguistics can be characterised differently than as proponents of theoretical orientations who spend their brief breaks from their bone-dry work bashing each other over the head with their different favourite abstractions. The discipline may appear to outsiders as fragmented and -- worse still -- lacking in relevance to the real world outside its gates. This book demonstrates that Linguistics, in all its varied branches, can be entertaining as well as thought-provoking, and that its domain is indeed a coherent one despite all the internecine squabbling. In an unconventional way Michael Fortescue introduces his subject as a kind of fable with a historical moral that professional linguists, as well as students, should enjoy as a useful commentary on the state of the discipline today.

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Book SynopsisThis book introduces a post-modern attitude into the science of language. In accordance with its own Critico-Philological Method the essay is a constructive critique of the transcendent foundationalism of modern synchronic linguistics. Without falling into nihilistic pitfalls of the post-modern mind''s antifoundationalism, the author demonstrates both how the static essentialism of modern linguistics turns out to be a transcendent, metaphysical statement of only a section of the everyday language, and how the synchronicity of modern linguistics cannot deliver on its promises to produce empirically relevant and non-shortening descriptions of the dynamic existence of the everyday language. Rehabilitating the Erkenntnisswert of the non-transcendent use of the everyday language -- a project with Glossematic, ''Hermeneutical'' and ''Deconstructivist'' overtones - the Synchronic Fallacy presents an argument against the modern synchronisation of historical linguistics and demonstrates the possibility of constructing a historical theory through the introduction of the Existential Function of the everyday language as an implementation of man''s temporally structured mind, our historical sense. The essay''s critical analyses of the four conceptual pillars of modern, static linguistics -- system, structure, state, synchrony -- evolve a determination of the temporal-dynamic nature of structure/Structuralism so that the essay''s view of our tradition''s purported antinomy: ''structure and history'', dovetails with the advanced view of language: language change is not to be seen or observed, but comprehended.

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the dynamic interplay between creativity and continuity in communication. Though conventionalisation is essential to any understanding of the foundation of interaction and language, thus far it has not been the subject of any substantial collective effort. New research presented here seeks to redress this. An introductory chapter critically reviews the theoretical assumptions and pitfalls of twentieth-century approaches to communication and conventionalisation. The successive chapters are by scholars from different theoretical backgrounds within language and literature. They study the processes of conventionalisation from the complementary perspectives of linguistic and literary research traditions and cover a diverse field of cognitive, social, and historical aspects of language. The target readership of the book is scholars and students of language and communication -- including literacy and literary studies and philosophy of language -- who are interested in foundational issues and their profound implications for empirical analysis.

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Book SynopsisThe purpose of this book is to give a precise meaning to the formula: English is the language of imperialism. Understanding that statement involves a critique of the dominant views of language, both in the field of linguistics (the book has a chapter criticising Chomsky’s research programme) and of the philosophy of language (the book has a chapter assessing Habermas’s philosophy of communicative action). The book aims at constructing a Marxist philosophy of language, embodying a view of language as a social, historical, material and political phenomenon. Since there has never been a strong tradition of thinking about language in Marxism, the book provides an overview of the question of Marxism in language (from Stalin’s pamphlet to Voloshinov's book, taking in an essay by Pasolini), and it seeks to construct a number of concepts for a Marxist philosophy of language. The book belongs to the tradition of Marxist critique of dominant ideologies. It should be particularly useful to those who, in the fields of language study, literature and communication studies, have decided that language is not merely an instrument of communication.Trade Review"Lecercle’s book is definitely thought provoking [...]" - Piotr Stalmaszczyk, in: Marx & Philosophy Review of Books, 17 November 2010 "many excellent points [...] this book has to offer" - Peter Ives, in: Capital & Class 94:162-166Table of Contents1. 'Chirac est un ver' 2. Critique of Linguistics 3. Critique of the Philosophy of Language 4. The Marxist Tradition 5. Continuations 6. Propositions (1) 7. Propositions (2) Conclusion: Contrasting Short Glossaries of Philosophy of Language References Index

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Trade Review‘Read this first, then read Chomsky.’John Searle, New York Review of Books ‘John Lyons’ book on Chomsky is simply the best short introduction in the English language. It is within the grasp of an intelligent layman. Anyone who reads it will understand the elements of tranformational grammar, and be able to follow current controversies.’Leonard Jackson, Times Educational Supplement ‘Lyons’ account is itself a minor modern masterpiece of compression and clarity.’Alan Ryan, New Society

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Book SynopsisThe book suggests a new perspective on the essence of human language. This enormous achievement of our species is best characterized as a communication technology - not unlike the social media on the Net today - that was collectively invented by ancient humans for a very particular communicative function: the instruction of imagination. All other systems of communication in the biological world target the interlocutors'' senses; language allows speakers to systematically instruct their interlocutors in the process of imagining the intended meaning - instead of directly experiencing it. This revolutionary function has changed human life forever, and in the book it operates as a unifying concept around which a new general theory of language gradually emerges. Dor identifies a set of fundamental problems in the linguistic sciences - the nature of words, the complexities of syntax, the interface between semantics and pragmatics, the causal relationship between language and thought, languagTrade ReviewFor anyone interested in language and how it works in modern day society, Dor offers a compelling account of competing positions in discourse linguistics...Overall, Dor's book has the potential to establish a new foundation for a communicative socially-based linguistic theory. Dor offers a framework for bringing together the two sides of linguistics which typically form psycholinguistics and socio-linguistics, and the book is about unpacking the tensions across the cognitive-social divide that can be said to be at play in trying to theorize new constructs. * Gavin Budge, The British Society for Literature and Science *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. The Functional Specificity of Language ; 3. How the Technology Works ; 4. Sign and Meaning ; 5. The Spiral of Relativity ; 6. Production and Comprehension ; 7. The Social Autonomy of Syntax ; 8. The Universality of Diversity ; 9. Acquisition as a Collective Enterprise ; 10. The Evolution of Language and its Users ; 11. Conclusion ; References

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Book SynopsisLanguage, Cognition, and Human Nature collects together for the first time much of Steven Pinker''s most influential scholarly work on language and cognition. Pinker''s seminal research explores the workings of language and its connections to cognition, perception, social relationships, child development, human evolution, and theories of human nature. This eclectic collection spans Pinker''s thirty-year career, exploring his favorite themes in greater depth and scientific detail. It includes thirteen of Pinker''s classic articles, ranging over topics such as language development in children, mental imagery, the recognition of shapes, the computational architecture of the mind, the meaning and uses of verbs, the evolution of language and cognition, the nature-nurture debate, and the logic of innuendo and euphemism. Each outlines a major theory or takes up an argument with another prominent scholar, such as Stephen Jay Gould, Noam Chomsky, or Richard Dawkins. Featuring a new introduction by Pinker that discusses his books and scholarly work, this collection reflects essential contributions to cognitive science by one of our leading thinkers and public intellectuals.Trade ReviewPinker is a star, and the world of science is lucky to have him." * Richard Dawkins, The Times Literary Supplement, 2002 *Steven Pinker is among the best synthesizers in the cognitive sciences. He is unique in the breadth of his interests and the depth of his knowledge. To top it off, his elegant and witty writings speak equally to specialists and to literate individuals everywhere." * Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard University *Pinker is an intellectual giant in the field, one of the most important psychologists and thinkers in our day. This compilation is outstanding, a fitting crown on his career so far, although I suspect he has much more to contribute. Even though I'd read a handful of these papers before, there were some that I was unaware of that are gems. Even those I'd read before, I re-read, and got even more on the second reading." * David Buss, author of Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind *With wit and acumen, Pinker introduces us to some of his most important scientific contributions. These glimpses into the development of these foundational articles and of course the articles themselves will be of great interest to academics and to his many fans beyond the walls of academia." * David C. Geary, author of Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Difference *Pinker is a rarity among academic psychologists not only as a stylish writer, but also as a profound thinker with an ability to grasp the major issues of human nature and human evolution. Language, Cognition, and Human Nature: Selected Articles is as good an introduction as any into the range and depth of his thinking and will have general appeal beyond an academic readership." -Michael Corballis, PsycCRITIQUESTable of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Formal models of language learning ; 2. A computational theory of the mental imagery medium ; 3. Rules and connections in human language ; 4. When does human object recognition use a viewer-centered reference frame? ; 5. Natural language and natural selection ; 6. The acquisition of argument structure ; 7. The nature of human concepts: evidence from an unusual source ; 8. Why nature and nurture won't go away ; 9. The faculty of language: What's special about it? ; 10. So how does the mind work? ; 11. Deep commonalities between life and mind ; 12. Rationales for indirect speech: The theory of the strategic speaker ; 13. The cognitive niche: Coevolution of intelligence, sociality, and language ; Author Biography

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Book SynopsisThe influence of J. L. Austin on contemporary philosophy was substantial during his lifetime, and has grown greatly since his death, at the height of his powers, in 1960. Philosophical Papers, first published in 1961, was the first of three volumes of Austin''s work to be edited by J. O. Urmson and G. J. Warnock. Together with Sense and Sensibilia and How to do things with Words (both first published in 1962 and both still available), it has extended Austin''s influence far beyond the circle who knew him or read the handful of papers he published in journals.Table of ContentsAgathon and Eudaimonia in Ethics of Aristotle; Are there A Priori concepts?; The meaning of a word; Other minds; Truth; How to talk - some simple ways; Unfair to facts; A plea for excuses; Ifs and cans; Performative utterances; Pretending; Three ways of spilling ink; The line and the cave in Plato's Republic; Index

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Book SynopsisIn this in-depth work, Richards defines rhetoric as the study of misunderstanding and its remedies. Focusing on how words work in discourse, he examines the interaction of words with each other and with their contexts, demonstrating how a continual synthesis of meaning--or principle of metaphor--gives life to discussion. He also argues that we can better control and animate our use of words, and therefore decrease misunderstanding, by comprehending the waymeaning changes in discourse.Trade Review"Chosen largely to present the philosophy of language informing [Richards's] approach....Should stimulate thoughtful re-examinations of our own positions on the important issues Richards addresses."--Freshman English News "Masterful (and manageable)....Has long been needed."-D.G. Myers, Texas A&M University "A deftly compiled reader."--William Doreski, Keene State College "Written in a lively style...Coherent and valuable."--John F. Cox, University of Arizona "This is perhaps one of the best texts for rhetoric courses I've found, and I intend to use it each time I teach graduate/undergraduate rhetorical theory and other language-theory courses."--Professor Lynn Dianne Beene, University of New Mexico "....an important part of the foundation of contemporary rhetoric. Clear and to the point, Richards illuminates the place rhetoric occupies in human societies."--Dr. William O. Boggs, Slippery Rock University

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Book SynopsisThis reissue of an American philosophical classic includes a new preface by Cavell, in which he discusses the work''s reception and influence. The work fosters a fascinating relationship between philosophy and literature both by augmenting his philosophical discussions with examples from literature and by applying philosophical theories to literary texts. Cavell also succeeds in drawing some very important parallels between the British analytic tradition and the continental tradition, by comparing scepticism as understood in Descartes, Hume, and Kant with philosophy of language as practiced by Wittgenstein and Austin.Trade Review"An altogether remarkable work of American philosophy...that occupies the buffer zone between poetry and philosophy in a unique--and perhaps uniquely American way."--Critical Inquiry"An intensely personal and uniquely provocative book. Stanley Cavell is a philosophical original."--Review of MetaphysicsTable of ContentsPART ONE; WITTGENSTEIN AND THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE; PART TWO; SKEPTICISM AND THE EXISTENCE OF THE WORLD; PART THREE; KNOWLEDGE AND THE CONCEPT OF MORALITY; PART FOUR; SKEPTICISM AND THE PROBLEM OF OTHERS

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Book SynopsisCombining up-to-date scholarship with clear and accessible language and helpful exercises, Metaphor: A Practical Introduction is an invaluable resource for all readers interested in metaphor. This second edition includes two new chapters-on ''metaphors in discourse'' and ''metaphor and emotion''-along with new exercises, responses to criticism and recent developments in the field, and revised student exercises, tables, and figures.Trade ReviewAn excellent introduction to conceptual metaphor, one which undergraduate students, graduate students, and general readers will find accessible yet thought-provoking. This edition has been significantly updated and improved, while retaining the features that have made it a well-loved book for students, such as clear expression, interesting exercises with a useful key, concise chapter summaries, and a very handy index of metaphors and metonymies. * Linguist List *Table of ContentsGLOSSARY; SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES; REFERENCES; GENERAL INDEX; METAPHOR AND METONYMY INDEX

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Book SynopsisMichael Dummett is one of the most important and influential of contemporary philosophers; this book covers his work in the closely related fields of metaphysics and the philosophy of language.Trade ReviewDummett is clear and concise. * The Philosophers' Magazine *An impressive collection by one of the most influential of living English philosophers ... Reading him, one has the impression of being at the hub of the discussion in the philosophy of language and his points in other areas are invariably authoritative and original. It is welcome as an elaborate and useful contribution to contemporary philosophical thinking. * History and Philosophy of Logic *His observations are of great interest ... The publishers should be thanked for making it less likely that these important papers will escape the attention of philosophers. * International Philosophical Quarterly *Table of Contents1. What is a Theory of Meaning? (I) ; 2. What is a Theory of Meaning? (II) ; 3. What do I Know When I Know a Language? ; 4. What does the Appeal to Use do for the Theory of Meaning? ; 5. Language and Truth ; 6. Truth and Meaning * ; 7. Language and Communication ; 8. The Source of the Concept of Truth ; 9. Mood, Force, and Convention * ; 10. Frege and Husserl on Reference ; 11. Realism ; 12. Existence ; 13. Does Quantification Involve Identity? ; 14. Could there be Unicorns? + ; 15. Causal Loops ; 16. Common Sense and Physics ; 17. Testimony and Memory * ; 18. What is Mathematics About? ; 19. Wittgenstein on Necessity: Some Reflections ; 20. Realism and Anti-Realism *

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