Context and Content: Essays on Intentionality in Speech and Thought by Robert C.

Description: Context and Content by Robert C. Stalnaker This text develops a philosophical picture of the nature of speech and thought and the relations between them. It discusses the role that the context in which speech takes place plays in accounting for the way language is used to express thought. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description In Context and Content Robert Stalnaker develops a philosophical picture of the nature of speech and thought and the relations between them. Two themes in particular run through these collected essays: the role that the context in which speech takes place plays in accounting for the way language is used to express thought, and the role of the external environment in determining the contents of our thoughts. Stalnaker argues against the widespread assumptionof the priority of linguistic over mental representation, which he suggests has had a distorting influence on our understanding. The first part of the book develops a framework forrepresenting contexts and the way they interact with the interpretation of what is said in them. This framework is used to help to explain a range of linguistic phenomena concerning presupposition and assertion, conditional statements, the attribution of beliefs, and the use of names, descriptions, and pronouns to refer. Stalnaker then draws out the conception of thought and its content that is implicit in this framework. He defends externalism about thought--the assumption that our thoughtshave the contents they have in virtue of the way we are situated in the world--and explores the role of linguistic action and linguistic structure in determining the contents of our thoughts.Context and Content offers philosophers and cognitive scientists a summation of Stalnakers important and influential work in this area. His new introduction to the volume gives an overview of this work and offers a convenient way in for those who are new to it. The Oxford Cognitive Science series is a new forum for the best contemporary work in this flourishing field, where various disciplines--cognitive psychology,philosophy, linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and computational theory--join forces in the investigation of thought, awareness, understanding, and associated workings of the mind. Each book constitutes an original contribution toits subject, but will be accessible beyond the ranks of specialists, so as to reach a broad interdisciplinary readership. The series will be carefully shaped and steered with the aim of representing the most important developments in the field and bringing together its constituent disciplines. Author Biography Robert C. Stalnaker is Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Table of Contents Introduction; PART I: REPRESENTING CONTEXTS: 1. Pragmatics; 2. Pragmatic Presuppositions; 3. Indicative Conditionals; 4. Assertion; 5. On the Representation of Context; PART II: ATTRIBUTING ATTITUDES: 6. Semantics for Belief; 7. Indexical Belief; 8. Belief Attribution and Context; PART III: EXTERNALISM: 9. On Whats in the Head; 10. Narrow Content; 11. Twin Earth Revisited; IV: FORM AND CONTENT: 12. Mental Content and Linguistic Form; 13. TheProblem of Logical Omniscience, I; 14. The Problem of Logical Omniscience, II; References; Index. Review `Context and Content will be read with great interest by scholars interested in semantics, pragmatics and philosophy. It is a tremendously interesting, instructive and useful book in that it presents a rigorous, balanced, and well considered theory. Furthermore, it is certain that many of the ideas expounded in this book will have important and promising ramifications.Alessandro Capone, Linguistics, Vol.36, 2000. Promotional Develops a philosophical picture of the nature of speech and thought and the relations between them Long Description In Context and Content Robert Stalnaker develops a philosophical picture of the nature of speech and thought and the relations between them. Two themes in particular run through these collected essays: the role that the context in which speech takes place plays in accounting for the way language is used to express thought, and the role of the external environment in determining the contents of our thoughts. Stalnaker argues against the widespread assumptionof the priority of linguistic over mental representation, which he suggests has had a distorting influence on our understanding. The first part of the book develops a framework for representing contexts and the way they interact with the interpretation of what is said in them. Thisframework is used to help to explain a range of linguistic phenomena concerning presupposition and assertion, conditional statements, the attribution of beliefs, and the use of names, descriptions, and pronouns to refer. Stalnaker then draws out the conception of thought and its content that is implicit in this framework. He defends externalism about thought--the assumption that our thoughts have the contents they have in virtue of the way we are situated in the world--and explores the role oflinguistic action and linguistic structure in determining the contents of our thoughts. Context and Content offers philosophers and cognitive scientists a summation of Stalnakers important and influential work in this area. His new introduction to the volume gives an overviewof this work and offers a convenient way in for those who are new to it. The Oxford Cognitive Science series is a new forum for the best contemporary work in this flourishing field, where various disciplines--cognitive psychology, philosophy, linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and computational theory--join forces in the investigation of thought, awareness, understanding, and associated workings of the mind. Each book constitutes an original contributionto its subject, but will be accessible beyond the ranks of specialists, so as to reach a broad interdisciplinary readership. The series will be carefully shaped and steered with the aim of representing the most important developments in the field and bringing together its constituent disciplines. Review Text `Context and Content will be read with great interest by scholars interested in semantics, pragmatics and philosophy. It is a tremendously interesting, instructive and useful book in that it presents a rigorous, balanced, and well considered theory. Furthermore, it is certain that many of the ideas expounded in this book will have important and promising ramifications.Alessandro Capone, Linguistics, Vol.36, 2000. Review Quote Not to be missed Feature A long-awaited book from a major figureGroundbreaking writings on language and thought Details ISBN0198237073 Language English ISBN-10 0198237073 ISBN-13 9780198237075 Media Book Format Paperback Year 1999 Subtitle Essays on Intentionality in Speech and Thought Place of Publication Oxford Country of Publication United Kingdom Illustrations index Short Title CONTEXT & CONTENT DOI 10.1604/9780198237075 UK Release Date 1999-04-08 AU Release Date 1999-04-08 NZ Release Date 1999-04-08 Author Robert C. Stalnaker Pages 294 Publisher Oxford University Press Series Oxford Cognitive Science Series Publication Date 1999-04-08 Alternative 9780198237082 DEWEY 121.68 Audience Professional & Vocational Imprint Oxford University Press We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:53298840;

Price: 74.96 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2025-01-19T03:11:59.000Z

Shipping Cost: 9.62 AUD