Overview
- Provides a thorough examination of Michael Devitt’s influential perspective on language and reality
- Features 17 essays by outstanding scholars on central issues in contemporary philosophy
- Includes extensive replies to the contributions by Devitt himself
Part of the book series: Philosophical Studies Series (PSSP, volume 142)
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Table of contents (19 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Philosophy of Linguistics
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Front Matter
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Methodology
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Front Matter
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Keywords
- Apriority
- Biological Essentialism
- Causal Theory of Reference
- Descriptivism
- Devitt on Reference
- Direct Reference
- General Terms
- Meanings
- Michael Devitt
- Narrow Content
- Philosophical Naturalism
- Proper Names
- Qua Problem
- Reference
- Referential Chains
- Realism and Truth
- Rigidity
- Scientific Realism
- Theories of Reference
- Thought and Language
About this book
This book celebrates the many important contributions to philosophy by one of the leading philosophers in the analytic field, Michael Devitt.
It collects seventeen original essays by renowned philosophers from all over the world. They all develop themes from Devitt’s work, thus discussing many fundamental issues in philosophy of linguistics, theory of reference, theory of meaning, methodology, and metaphysics.
In a long final chapter, Devitt himself replies to the contributors. In so doing, he further elaborates his views on various of these issues, for example defending his claim (in opposition to Chomskyan orthodoxy) that languages are external rather than internal; his well-known causal theory of reference; his “shocking” idea that meanings can be causal, non-descriptive, modes of presentation; his methodological naturalism; his commitment to scientific realism; and his version of biological essentialism.
The volume will appeal to all scholars and students interested in contemporary theoretical analytic philosophy, and will be a must-read for any serious researcher in philosophy of language. It provides a deep insight into the work of one of the most important living philosophers, and will help readers to better understand language and reality from a naturalistic perspective.
Editors and Affiliations
About the editor
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Language and Reality from a Naturalistic Perspective
Book Subtitle: Themes from Michael Devitt
Editors: Andrea Bianchi
Series Title: Philosophical Studies Series
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47641-0
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-47640-3Published: 20 October 2020
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-47643-4Published: 20 October 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-47641-0Published: 19 October 2020
Series ISSN: 0921-8599
Series E-ISSN: 2542-8349
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XI, 466
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 4 illustrations in colour
Topics: Analytic Philosophy, Epistemology, Philosophy of Biology, Philosophy of Language, Life Sciences, general, Linguistics, general