Language, sense and nonsense: A critical investigation into modern theories of language

Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 3
Preface......Page 5
Contents......Page 7
Prolegomenon: the New Philosopher\'s Stone......Page 9
1 The post-Cartesian tradition......Page 16
2 The conception of language within the post-Cartesian tradition......Page 17
3 The logical tradition......Page 21
4 The invention of formal calculi......Page 24
5 The watershed......Page 28
1 The background environment......Page 32
2 Phylogenesis......Page 36
3 Lateral radiation......Page 43
4 Suspicions of genetic defects......Page 47
1 Descriptive content......Page 49
2 Overlapping paraphrases......Page 52
3 Shortage of logical space......Page 56
4 An indirect approach via indirect speech......Page 62
5 Diagnosis......Page 65
1 The present position......Page 69
2 Logical semantics......Page 72
3 Truth-conditions domesticated: applications to natural languages......Page 75
4 Forging links between language and the world......Page 79
5 Cutting language free from actuality......Page 82
6 Diaspora......Page 85
7 The evolution of a concept......Page 90
1 Targets......Page 93
2 Semantic analyses of logical constants......Page 94
3 Truth and falsity......Page 99
4 Truth-conditions......Page 104
5 Context-dependent sentences......Page 107
2 Synonymy......Page 112
3 Circumstance-dependence of meaning......Page 118
4 Sentence-meaning......Page 123
5 Explanation......Page 125
6 Understanding......Page 128
7 In pursuit of the phantoms of hope......Page 129
1 Clouds of confusion......Page 130
2 Rules and their formulations......Page 134
3 Normative phenomena......Page 137
4 The existence of rules and the determination of their consequences......Page 140
1 Methodological confusions......Page 142
2 The psychological mythology of rules......Page 152
3 The mechanical mythology of rules......Page 156
4 The Platonic mythology of rules......Page 159
5 The mythology of scientific method......Page 162
1 Plus ca change.........Page 167
2 The plants that grew......Page 169
3 The elements......Page 172
4 Combinations of elements: phrases and sentences......Page 176
5 Understanding and tacit knowledge......Page 178
6 Understanding new sentences......Page 181
7 Residual business: the minimalist enterprise......Page 187
1 Kernels of truth?......Page 193
2 Discredited methodology......Page 194
3 A mythology of symbolism......Page 195
4 Forms of representation......Page 198
5 Philosophy of language......Page 202
Index......Page 204