Modality and meaning
By: by William G. Lycan.
Series: Studies in linguistics and philosophy ;; v. 53
Publisher: Kluwer Academic
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Dordrecht; Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 335
Subjects: Language and languages -- Philosophy; Modality (Logic); Metaphysics; Semantics; Semantics (Philosophy)
Description: Part I of this book presents a theory of modal metaphysics in the possible-worlds tradition. "Worlds" themselves are understood as structured sets of properties; this "Ersatzist" view is defended against its most vigorous competitors, Meinongianism and David Lewis' theory of existent concrete worlds. Related issues of essentialism and linguistic reference are explored. Part II takes up the question of lexical meaning in the context of possible-worlds semantics. There are skeptical analyses of analyticity and the notion of a logical constant; and an "infinite polysemy" thesis is defended. The book will be of particular interest to metaphysicians, possible-worlds semanticists, philosophers of language, and linguists concerned with lexical semantics.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [305]-325) and indexes.