Overview

Language is a major part of what makes us human. We effortlessly attach meaning to sounds and marks, in themselves meaningless, to convey to one another our beliefs, desires, intentions, and other states of mind. How is this amazing feat possible? Claudine Verheggen introduces readers to the fascinating study of language from a philosophical perspective. She sheds light on the nature of linguistic meaning by investigating two broad categories of questions: one concerns the relation between meaning and the extra-linguistic reality language users talk about, the other concerns the relation between meaning and facts about language users themselves. Verheggen explores the views of prominent philosophers and lays the foundations that help us to address questions in an array of other subdisciplines to which philosophy of language is relevant, from psychology to political theory. Throughout, she pays special attention to the many different ways in which words are used, asking whether language is fundamentally a social phenomenon and whether conventions are essential to it. Lively and accessible, built on a strong narrative structure, What is Philosophy of Language? is a key resource for any philosophy student or philosophically minded person with a passion for language.

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9781509556960

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Reviews

""This is an elegant, insightful and very well written introduction to philosophy of language. Readers who want to know why philosophers take an interest in language and what the philosophical study of language has to offer will learn much from its pages."" Alexander Miller, University of Otago ""This is an excellent book, covering fundamental aspects of the philosophy of language that don't often receive the attention they deserve. It will work very well as an introduction to these problems and ideas."" José Zalabardo, University College London

Author Information

Claudine Verheggen is Professor of Philosophy at York University, Toronto.

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