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E-book
Author Saka, Paul

Title How to think about meaning / Paul Saka
Published Dordrecht : Springer, ©2007

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Description 1 online resource (xiii, 279 pages)
Series Philosophical studies series ; v. 109
Philosophical studies series ; v. 109.
Contents From the contents Preface.- Notational Conventions.- Part I: Theoretical Issues.- -- Introduction.- -- The Case of the Missing Truth-Conditions.- -- Foundations of Attitudinal Semantics.- -- Objections and Replies.- Part II: Case Studies.- -- Hate Speech.- -- Ambiguity.- -- Quotation and Use-Mention.- -- Liars and Truth-tellers.- Conclusion.- References.- Index
Summary "According to the dominant theory of meaning, truth-conditional semantics, to explain the meaning of a statement is to specify the conditions necessary and sufficient for its truth. Classical truth-conditional semantics is coming under increasing attack, however, from contextualists and inferentialists, who agree that meaning is located in the mind." "How to Think about Meaning develops an even more radical mentalist semantics, which it does by shifting the object of semantic inquiry. Whereas for classical semantics the object of analysis is an abstract sentence or utterance such as "Grass is green", for attitudinal semantics the object of inquiry is a propositional attitude such as "Speaker so-and-so thinks grass is green". Explicit relativization to some speaker S allows for semantic theory then to make contact with psychology, sociology, historical linguistics, and other empirical disciplines." "The attitudinal approach is motivated both by theoretical considerations and by its practical success in dealing with recalcitrant phenomena in the theory of meaning. These include: presuppositions as found in hate speech, and more generally the connotative force of evaluative language; the problem of how to represent ambiguity; quotation and the use-mention distinction; and the liar paradox, which appears to contradict truth-based semantics."--Jacket
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-270) and index
Notes Print version record
In Springer e-books
Subject Meaning (Philosophy)
Semantics.
Reference (Linguistics)
Semantics
semantics.
PHILOSOPHY -- Epistemology.
Sciences sociales.
Sciences humaines.
Meaning (Philosophy)
Reference (Linguistics)
Semantics
Bedeutung
Sprachphilosophie
Betekenis.
Filosofische aspecten.
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2007280522
ISBN 9781402058561
140205856X
9781402058578
1402058578
9786610864645
6610864640