Reference and Existence

The John Locke Lectures

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Metaphysics
Cover of the book Reference and Existence by Saul A. Kripke, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Saul A. Kripke ISBN: 9780190208059
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: May 1, 2013
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Saul A. Kripke
ISBN: 9780190208059
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: May 1, 2013
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Reference and Existence, Saul Kripke's John Locke Lectures for 1973, can be read as a sequel to his classic Naming and Necessity. It confronts important issues left open in that work -- among them, the semantics of proper names and natural kind terms as they occur in fiction and in myth; negative existential statements; the ontology of fiction and myth (whether it is true that fictional characters like Hamlet, or mythical kinds like bandersnatches, might have existed). In treating these questions, he makes a number of methodological observations that go beyond the framework of his earlier book -- including the striking claim that fiction cannot provide a test for theories of reference and naming. In addition, these lectures provide a glimpse into the transition to the pragmatics of singular reference that dominated his influential paper, "Speaker's Reference and Semantic Reference" -- a paper that helped reorient linguistic and philosophical semantics. Some of the themes have been worked out in later writings by other philosophers -- many influenced by typescripts of the lectures in circulation -- but none have approached the careful, systematic treatment provided here. The virtuosity of Naming and Necessity -- the colloquial ease of the tone, the dazzling, on-the-spot formulations, the logical structure of the overall view gradually emerging over the course of the lectures -- is on display here as well.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Reference and Existence, Saul Kripke's John Locke Lectures for 1973, can be read as a sequel to his classic Naming and Necessity. It confronts important issues left open in that work -- among them, the semantics of proper names and natural kind terms as they occur in fiction and in myth; negative existential statements; the ontology of fiction and myth (whether it is true that fictional characters like Hamlet, or mythical kinds like bandersnatches, might have existed). In treating these questions, he makes a number of methodological observations that go beyond the framework of his earlier book -- including the striking claim that fiction cannot provide a test for theories of reference and naming. In addition, these lectures provide a glimpse into the transition to the pragmatics of singular reference that dominated his influential paper, "Speaker's Reference and Semantic Reference" -- a paper that helped reorient linguistic and philosophical semantics. Some of the themes have been worked out in later writings by other philosophers -- many influenced by typescripts of the lectures in circulation -- but none have approached the careful, systematic treatment provided here. The virtuosity of Naming and Necessity -- the colloquial ease of the tone, the dazzling, on-the-spot formulations, the logical structure of the overall view gradually emerging over the course of the lectures -- is on display here as well.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Future of Foreign Intelligence by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book The Gun and the Pen by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Acting White? by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Conservatism and American Political Development by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Black, White, and Indian by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book The Ethics of Technology by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book The Allure of Toxic Leaders by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Family Man by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Consuming Dance by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Identifying Neuroemergencies by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book The Wrong of Injustice by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Qur'an: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Tell Me a Story by Saul A. Kripke
Cover of the book Race and the Making of American Liberalism by Saul A. Kripke
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy