Quine

This book provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the work of Willard van Orman Quine, one of the most notable American philosophers of the post-war period. An understanding of Quine's work should assist anyone who wishes to follow contemporary debates in the philosophy of language, the philosophy of mind and metaphysics. The author traces the development of Quine's work from his early criticisms of logical positivism and empiricism to his more recent theories about mind and meaning. He gives particular attention to Quine's controversial arguments concerning the indeterminacy of translation, comparing Quine's views with those of Davidson, Putnam and others. Hookway concludes by offering a critical appraisal of Quine's approach and of some of his fundamental philosophical commitments. Cover ......Page 1 Title Page ......Page 5 Copyright ......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 12 Note on References......Page 14 Introduction......Page 15 Part I The Evolution of Empiricism......Page 19 1.1 Introduction......Page 21 1.2 Meaning and Naming......Page 22 1.3 Words and Sentences......Page 29 1.4 Objects and Ontology......Page 33 1.5 Russell’s Theory of Descriptions and Quine’s Criterion of Ontological Commitment......Page 35 2.1 Meaning, Rationality and the A Priori......Page 40 2.2 Classical Analysis......Page 42 2.3 Carnap’s Views......Page 44 2.4 Holism......Page 48 2.5 ‘Two Dogmas of Empiricism’: the Third and Fourth Milestones......Page 49 2.6 Empiricism without the Dogmas: Moderate Holism......Page 53 2.7 Understanding without Analyticity......Page 57 3.1 Quine, Carnap and Philosophy......Page 62 3.2 Quine and Pragmatism......Page 64 3.3 Pragmatism and Realism......Page 66 3.4 Realism and Naturalism......Page 68 Part II Logic and Reality......Page 73 4.1 Science and Philosophy......Page 75 4.2 Quine’s Physicalism: Some Questions......Page 77 4.3 Expression and Description......Page 79 4.4 Truth and Method......Page 82 4.5 Physicalism......Page 84 4.6 Reduction and Reality......Page 88 5.1 Logic: Calculus and Categorial Framework......Page 93 5.2 The Canonical Notation for Science......Page 98 5.3 Extensionality......Page 103 5.4 Formal Logic, Canonical Notation and Ordinary English......Page 105 6.1 Intensionality: Examples......Page 108 6.2 Time and Tense......Page 110 6.3 Objects and Events......Page 113 6.4 Physics and Extensionality......Page 118 7.1 Necessity and Extensionality......Page 124 7.2 De dicto and de re......Page 129 7.3 Tense and Modality......Page 130 7.4 Essentialism......Page 134 7.5 Conclusion......Page 137 Part III Mind and Meaning......Page 139 8.1 The Thesis......Page 141 8.2 The Arguments......Page 144 8.3 Epistemological Underdetermination, Ontological Indeterminacy......Page 150 8.4 Consequences: Mind and Meaning......Page 153 8.5 Consequences: Reference and Truth......Page 155 9.2 Rabbits......Page 160 9.3 Translation and Meaning......Page 165 9.4 Psychological Theory and the Theory of Meaning......Page 169 9.5 Physicalism and Psychological Explanation......Page 173 9.6 Some Questions......Page 176 10.1 Holism and the Theory of Meaning......Page 178 10.2 Some Holistic Theses......Page 179 10.3 Radical Interpretation......Page 181 10.4 Normative Principles and the Holistic Character of Interpretation......Page 185 10.5 Interpretation and Cognitive Science......Page 188 10.6 Indeterminacy: Quine and Davidson......Page 191 Part IV Knowledge and Reality......Page 197 11.1 Epistemology: the Cartesian Paradigm......Page 199 11.2 Positivism and Epistemology......Page 201 11.3 Epistemology Naturalized......Page 205 11.4 Sceptical Arguments......Page 206 11.5 A Scientific Refutation of Science......Page 213 11.6 Conclusion......Page 215 12.1 Introduction......Page 217 12.2 Truth......Page 218 12.3 Taking Our Own Physics Seriously......Page 221 12.4 Physicalism......Page 226 12.5 Empiricism......Page 230 12.6 Conclusion......Page 232 References......Page 235 Index......Page 239