Words and objects

Author: Quine
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Word and Object is a systematic treatise on the philosophy of language by Quine, following his earlier work The Two Dogmas of Empiricism. Starting from the social nature of language, the author conducts an empirical and developmental study of words, sentences, and their meanings based on the stimulus-response relationship and mechanisms between subjects and objects. He introduces important concepts and theories such as children's language acquisition, "radical translation" for entirely unfamiliar languages, the uncertainty of translation, stimulus meaning, and stimulus synonymy. The book offers sharp critiques of Oxford Ordinary Language Philosophy while fully employing and developing the logical analytical methods of formal language (sense interpretation, semantic ascent). It also provides a detailed discussion on the obscurity of linguistic means for reference and its solutions. Compared to his previous works, this book more clearly and deeply elaborates on Quine's physicalist views on physical and mental objects, as well as his Platonist views on abstract objects (classes, mathematical objects).