J. T. Ismael
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195174366
- eISBN:
- 9780199872121
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195174366.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Physics reveals a world composed of events arranged in a fixed configuration, like locations on a map. But where are we ourselves, the creatures who construct the map, to be found in the world it ...
More
Physics reveals a world composed of events arranged in a fixed configuration, like locations on a map. But where are we ourselves, the creatures who construct the map, to be found in the world it presents? Where, in this seamless fabric presented by physics do we find the fleeting, centered world of experience, rich in color, sound, and sentiment, that we know from the inside? The question of the relationship between the world of physics and the world as seen through human eyes is one of the deepest, and most difficult in philosophy. The difficulty has many aspects. The world of physics is fixed and eternal; the world of experience is transient and changing. The world of physics is structure described in mathematical terms; the world of experience is rich with qualitative properties that can't be captured in mathematical description. The world of physics has no built-in perspective; the world of experience is always experience to a particular someone, from a standpoint in space and time. The problem spans metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and ethics, and expresses itself in the wider culture in the perceived clash between humanist and scientific views of the self. This book displays in a new way the common structure of these different aspects of the problem. An account of the structure of self-locating knowledge serves as the keystone for a broad vision of the place of the self in the physical universe. The vision preserves the completeness and closure of physical description, while leaving room for features of ourselves and our subjective views of the world that are at once real and incommunicable.Less
Physics reveals a world composed of events arranged in a fixed configuration, like locations on a map. But where are we ourselves, the creatures who construct the map, to be found in the world it presents? Where, in this seamless fabric presented by physics do we find the fleeting, centered world of experience, rich in color, sound, and sentiment, that we know from the inside? The question of the relationship between the world of physics and the world as seen through human eyes is one of the deepest, and most difficult in philosophy. The difficulty has many aspects. The world of physics is fixed and eternal; the world of experience is transient and changing. The world of physics is structure described in mathematical terms; the world of experience is rich with qualitative properties that can't be captured in mathematical description. The world of physics has no built-in perspective; the world of experience is always experience to a particular someone, from a standpoint in space and time. The problem spans metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and ethics, and expresses itself in the wider culture in the perceived clash between humanist and scientific views of the self. This book displays in a new way the common structure of these different aspects of the problem. An account of the structure of self-locating knowledge serves as the keystone for a broad vision of the place of the self in the physical universe. The vision preserves the completeness and closure of physical description, while leaving room for features of ourselves and our subjective views of the world that are at once real and incommunicable.
Adrienne Lehrer
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195307931
- eISBN:
- 9780199867493
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195307931.003.0018
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Theoretical Linguistics
This chapter summarizes the main discussions of the book outlining the topics of the three parts of the books. Part I dealt with wine words and the extensive wine lexicon that has emerged. Part II ...
More
This chapter summarizes the main discussions of the book outlining the topics of the three parts of the books. Part I dealt with wine words and the extensive wine lexicon that has emerged. Part II reported on the experiments conducted which interestingly showed that the nonexpert and even some expert wine drinkers generally did not agree on wine descriptions and often did not form a consensus on wines. Part III dealt with the functions of language and certain aspects of wine culture such as elitism, anti-elitism, and marketing.Less
This chapter summarizes the main discussions of the book outlining the topics of the three parts of the books. Part I dealt with wine words and the extensive wine lexicon that has emerged. Part II reported on the experiments conducted which interestingly showed that the nonexpert and even some expert wine drinkers generally did not agree on wine descriptions and often did not form a consensus on wines. Part III dealt with the functions of language and certain aspects of wine culture such as elitism, anti-elitism, and marketing.
David Robey
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198184980
- eISBN:
- 9780191674419
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198184980.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, European Literature
The importance of sound in poetry is indisputable, yet it is not at all an easy subject to discuss, and is rarely treated systematically by literary scholars. This book uses a variety of ...
More
The importance of sound in poetry is indisputable, yet it is not at all an easy subject to discuss, and is rarely treated systematically by literary scholars. This book uses a variety of computer-based processes to construct a systematic analytical description of the sounds of Dante's Divine Comedy in the sense of their overall distribution within the text. The description is developed through a comparative treatment of the same features in a range of related texts, with a view to defining the distinctive characteristics of Dante's practice; and by a discussion of the function and effect of sounds in the work, with special attention to unusually high incidences of particular features. The book is thus both a contribution to the scholarly debate about Dante's poem, and an illustration and discussion of the ways in which new electronic technology can be used for this kind of purpose.Less
The importance of sound in poetry is indisputable, yet it is not at all an easy subject to discuss, and is rarely treated systematically by literary scholars. This book uses a variety of computer-based processes to construct a systematic analytical description of the sounds of Dante's Divine Comedy in the sense of their overall distribution within the text. The description is developed through a comparative treatment of the same features in a range of related texts, with a view to defining the distinctive characteristics of Dante's practice; and by a discussion of the function and effect of sounds in the work, with special attention to unusually high incidences of particular features. The book is thus both a contribution to the scholarly debate about Dante's poem, and an illustration and discussion of the ways in which new electronic technology can be used for this kind of purpose.
John Hawthorne and David Manley
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199693672
- eISBN:
- 9780191739002
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199693672.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind
This book critically examines some widespread views about the semantic phenomenon of reference and the cognitive phenomenon of singular thought. It begins by denying that either is tied to a special ...
More
This book critically examines some widespread views about the semantic phenomenon of reference and the cognitive phenomenon of singular thought. It begins by denying that either is tied to a special relation of causal or epistemic acquaintance. It goes on to challenge the alleged semantic rift between definite and indefinite descriptions on the one hand, and names and demonstratives on the other—a division that has been motivated in part by appeals to considerations of acquaintance. Drawing on recent work in semantics, a more unified account of all four types of expression is explored, according to which none of them paradigmatically fits the profile of a referential term. The authors argue that all four involve existential quantification but admit of uses that exhibit many of the traits associated with reference—a phenomenon that is due to the presence of what we call a ‘singular restriction’ on the existentially quantified domain. The Afterword draws out some implications of the proposed semantic picture for the traditional categories of reference and singular thought.Less
This book critically examines some widespread views about the semantic phenomenon of reference and the cognitive phenomenon of singular thought. It begins by denying that either is tied to a special relation of causal or epistemic acquaintance. It goes on to challenge the alleged semantic rift between definite and indefinite descriptions on the one hand, and names and demonstratives on the other—a division that has been motivated in part by appeals to considerations of acquaintance. Drawing on recent work in semantics, a more unified account of all four types of expression is explored, according to which none of them paradigmatically fits the profile of a referential term. The authors argue that all four involve existential quantification but admit of uses that exhibit many of the traits associated with reference—a phenomenon that is due to the presence of what we call a ‘singular restriction’ on the existentially quantified domain. The Afterword draws out some implications of the proposed semantic picture for the traditional categories of reference and singular thought.
Troels Engberg‐Pedersen
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199558568
- eISBN:
- 9780191720970
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558568.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter addresses the philosophical question of the relationship between the different types of superhuman entities that people Paul's world. In addition to the material pneuma, Christ, and God, ...
More
This chapter addresses the philosophical question of the relationship between the different types of superhuman entities that people Paul's world. In addition to the material pneuma, Christ, and God, there also were demons of various sorts, including Satan. The chapter considers three different ways in which Paul may speak of these entities: in physical terms, in cognitive terms, and in personal terms. Is it possible to hold these superficially very different ways of speaking together within a single, coherent world view? The chapter argues that some of the problems perceived by scholars in this area are self-created, but also that Paul focuses on cognition in a manner that allows for both the physical and the personal ways of speaking while also giving pride of place to the cognitive relationship of human beings with the superhuman figures.Less
This chapter addresses the philosophical question of the relationship between the different types of superhuman entities that people Paul's world. In addition to the material pneuma, Christ, and God, there also were demons of various sorts, including Satan. The chapter considers three different ways in which Paul may speak of these entities: in physical terms, in cognitive terms, and in personal terms. Is it possible to hold these superficially very different ways of speaking together within a single, coherent world view? The chapter argues that some of the problems perceived by scholars in this area are self-created, but also that Paul focuses on cognition in a manner that allows for both the physical and the personal ways of speaking while also giving pride of place to the cognitive relationship of human beings with the superhuman figures.
R. M. Sainsbury
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199241804
- eISBN:
- 9780191602696
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199241805.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
This book concerns the nature of reference, and the theory it develops is intermediate between direct reference theories and descriptivist theories. A guiding thought is that just as truth conditions ...
More
This book concerns the nature of reference, and the theory it develops is intermediate between direct reference theories and descriptivist theories. A guiding thought is that just as truth conditions (rather than truth values) can throw light on the meaning of sentences so can reference conditions (rather than referents) throw light on the meaning of referring expressions. A reference condition need not be a descriptive condition, and it need not be satisfied. The first of these points marks the divergence from descriptivist theories, and the second, from direct reference theories. This idea is applied to proper names, pronouns, and definite descriptions (singular, plural and mass); problems of existential and fictional sentences are addressed; and, in the final chapter, an analogue of the main idea is applied to mental content.Less
This book concerns the nature of reference, and the theory it develops is intermediate between direct reference theories and descriptivist theories. A guiding thought is that just as truth conditions (rather than truth values) can throw light on the meaning of sentences so can reference conditions (rather than referents) throw light on the meaning of referring expressions. A reference condition need not be a descriptive condition, and it need not be satisfied. The first of these points marks the divergence from descriptivist theories, and the second, from direct reference theories. This idea is applied to proper names, pronouns, and definite descriptions (singular, plural and mass); problems of existential and fictional sentences are addressed; and, in the final chapter, an analogue of the main idea is applied to mental content.
Daphne C. Wiggins
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195167979
- eISBN:
- 9780199784981
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019516797X.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
African American Christianity can be used to engage the questions of social practice and theology. From a variety of sources, the Black Church has constructed practices that counter and subdue ...
More
African American Christianity can be used to engage the questions of social practice and theology. From a variety of sources, the Black Church has constructed practices that counter and subdue oppressive forces felt by African Americans while simultaneously establishing a context for a more abundant life. This chapter presents a model for teaching those contexts. It presents the rationale and several of the strategies used in the course, “The Social Contexts of the Black Church”. The course requires students to ground their ministerial vision in a dialectical understanding of the Black Church. Moving between the contemporary interdisciplinary interpretation of the sociocultural contexts of African Americans and the history and established theological teachings of the Black Church, an approach is presented that equips theological students to construct a ministerial direction and praxis.Less
African American Christianity can be used to engage the questions of social practice and theology. From a variety of sources, the Black Church has constructed practices that counter and subdue oppressive forces felt by African Americans while simultaneously establishing a context for a more abundant life. This chapter presents a model for teaching those contexts. It presents the rationale and several of the strategies used in the course, “The Social Contexts of the Black Church”. The course requires students to ground their ministerial vision in a dialectical understanding of the Black Church. Moving between the contemporary interdisciplinary interpretation of the sociocultural contexts of African Americans and the history and established theological teachings of the Black Church, an approach is presented that equips theological students to construct a ministerial direction and praxis.
Ralph C. Watkins
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195167979
- eISBN:
- 9780199784981
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019516797X.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
Teaching “African American Religions” is an intense experience. Teaching the course calls on the teacher to observe the students changing as the students go through a transition during the course. ...
More
Teaching “African American Religions” is an intense experience. Teaching the course calls on the teacher to observe the students changing as the students go through a transition during the course. This course has to be seen as a journey. It must be framed as a process of reunification and reconstruction. The teacher needs to feel compassion as he or she works in the community reconciling students to their roots as they explore the foundations of African American religiosity.Less
Teaching “African American Religions” is an intense experience. Teaching the course calls on the teacher to observe the students changing as the students go through a transition during the course. This course has to be seen as a journey. It must be framed as a process of reunification and reconstruction. The teacher needs to feel compassion as he or she works in the community reconciling students to their roots as they explore the foundations of African American religiosity.
Theodore Louis Trost
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195167979
- eISBN:
- 9780199784981
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019516797X.003.0015
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
The main purpose of religious studies as an academic discipline is to make “the strange familiar and the familiar strange”. This is what the course “Introduction to Religion in America: Religion ...
More
The main purpose of religious studies as an academic discipline is to make “the strange familiar and the familiar strange”. This is what the course “Introduction to Religion in America: Religion Observed in Popular Film” attempts, with particular emphasis on making the familiar strange. The class has three foci: religion, movies, and America. In this chapter, after a review of the issues at stake in the “Introduction to Religious Studies” course and a description of the operative method, race as a crucial concern in the interpretation of three movies: Being There, The Color Purple, and Daughters of the Dust, is discussed.Less
The main purpose of religious studies as an academic discipline is to make “the strange familiar and the familiar strange”. This is what the course “Introduction to Religion in America: Religion Observed in Popular Film” attempts, with particular emphasis on making the familiar strange. The class has three foci: religion, movies, and America. In this chapter, after a review of the issues at stake in the “Introduction to Religious Studies” course and a description of the operative method, race as a crucial concern in the interpretation of three movies: Being There, The Color Purple, and Daughters of the Dust, is discussed.
Nancy A. Hardesty
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195167979
- eISBN:
- 9780199784981
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019516797X.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This chapter describes the teaching of a basic-level course called “African American Religion”. The course, taught by the author of the book, is open to anybody with an interest in the subject. In ...
More
This chapter describes the teaching of a basic-level course called “African American Religion”. The course, taught by the author of the book, is open to anybody with an interest in the subject. In 1999, there were only seven students who completed the course: five black, two white. In 2001, there were twenty-eight: twenty-three black and five white. The course will continue to be offered.Less
This chapter describes the teaching of a basic-level course called “African American Religion”. The course, taught by the author of the book, is open to anybody with an interest in the subject. In 1999, there were only seven students who completed the course: five black, two white. In 2001, there were twenty-eight: twenty-three black and five white. The course will continue to be offered.
Bernadette McNary-Zak
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195167979
- eISBN:
- 9780199784981
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019516797X.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This chapter focuses on the question of how a course on the history of American Catholicism might be framed for a non-Catholic, Protestant, and Southern context. The author of this book has developed ...
More
This chapter focuses on the question of how a course on the history of American Catholicism might be framed for a non-Catholic, Protestant, and Southern context. The author of this book has developed an entirely new course, “Histories of American Catholicism”, which strives to address diversity by problematizing American Catholic identity. This chapter discusses several methodological issues with a particular focus on how they have shaped the author's thinking about how to teach this course. Since the course has not yet been taught in either a Catholic or a non-Catholic context, this chapter is a working proposal that offers a preliminary road map. It will require adjustment as it is tested out.Less
This chapter focuses on the question of how a course on the history of American Catholicism might be framed for a non-Catholic, Protestant, and Southern context. The author of this book has developed an entirely new course, “Histories of American Catholicism”, which strives to address diversity by problematizing American Catholic identity. This chapter discusses several methodological issues with a particular focus on how they have shaped the author's thinking about how to teach this course. Since the course has not yet been taught in either a Catholic or a non-Catholic context, this chapter is a working proposal that offers a preliminary road map. It will require adjustment as it is tested out.
Henry Laycock
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199281718
- eISBN:
- 9780191603594
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199281718.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
The second application of the assumption that singular reference is ‘ultimately’ exhaustive also represents non-count reference as singular — as reference to individual ‘quantities’ or ‘parcels’ of ...
More
The second application of the assumption that singular reference is ‘ultimately’ exhaustive also represents non-count reference as singular — as reference to individual ‘quantities’ or ‘parcels’ of stuff. Unsurprisingly, the idea is sometimes explicitly advanced on the model of plural reference as singular. However, any such view must attempt to circumvent the difficulties posed by Russell’s analysis of the conditions, whereby descriptions count as semantically singular. It is argued that such an attempt cannot succeed.Less
The second application of the assumption that singular reference is ‘ultimately’ exhaustive also represents non-count reference as singular — as reference to individual ‘quantities’ or ‘parcels’ of stuff. Unsurprisingly, the idea is sometimes explicitly advanced on the model of plural reference as singular. However, any such view must attempt to circumvent the difficulties posed by Russell’s analysis of the conditions, whereby descriptions count as semantically singular. It is argued that such an attempt cannot succeed.
Raymond Brun
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199552689
- eISBN:
- 9780191720277
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199552689.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics
The high enthalpy gas flows, associating high velocities, and high temperatures, are the scene of physical and chemical processes such as molecular vibrational excitation, dissociation, ionization, ...
More
The high enthalpy gas flows, associating high velocities, and high temperatures, are the scene of physical and chemical processes such as molecular vibrational excitation, dissociation, ionization, or various reactions. The characteristic times of these processes are of the same order of magnitude as aerodynamic characteristic times so that these reactive media are generally in thermodynamic and chemical non-equilibrium. This book presents a general introductory study of these media. In a first part their fundamental statistical aspects are described, starting from their discrete structure and taking into account the interactions between elementary particles: the transport phenomena, relaxation, and kinetics as well as their coupling are thus analysed and illustrated by many examples. The second part of the work is devoted to the macroscopic aspects of the reactive flows including shock waves, hypersonic expansions, flows around bodies, and boundary layers. Experimental data on vibrational relaxation times, vibrational populations, and kinetic rate constants are also presented. Finally, experimental aspects of reactive flows, their simulation in shock tube and shock tunnel are described as well as their applications, particularly in the aero-spatial domain.Less
The high enthalpy gas flows, associating high velocities, and high temperatures, are the scene of physical and chemical processes such as molecular vibrational excitation, dissociation, ionization, or various reactions. The characteristic times of these processes are of the same order of magnitude as aerodynamic characteristic times so that these reactive media are generally in thermodynamic and chemical non-equilibrium. This book presents a general introductory study of these media. In a first part their fundamental statistical aspects are described, starting from their discrete structure and taking into account the interactions between elementary particles: the transport phenomena, relaxation, and kinetics as well as their coupling are thus analysed and illustrated by many examples. The second part of the work is devoted to the macroscopic aspects of the reactive flows including shock waves, hypersonic expansions, flows around bodies, and boundary layers. Experimental data on vibrational relaxation times, vibrational populations, and kinetic rate constants are also presented. Finally, experimental aspects of reactive flows, their simulation in shock tube and shock tunnel are described as well as their applications, particularly in the aero-spatial domain.
Emma Cohen
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195323351
- eISBN:
- 9780199785575
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195323351.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
Chapters 4 and 5 introduce more comprehensively the scientific approach to be adopted, incorporating a review of past and present approaches to possession cults and spirit phenomena. The first of ...
More
Chapters 4 and 5 introduce more comprehensively the scientific approach to be adopted, incorporating a review of past and present approaches to possession cults and spirit phenomena. The first of these chapters looks at ethnographic description and anthropological interpretation of spirit possession phenomena, considering the roles of both rich description and faithful representation of cultural meaning for the generation of scientific theories.Less
Chapters 4 and 5 introduce more comprehensively the scientific approach to be adopted, incorporating a review of past and present approaches to possession cults and spirit phenomena. The first of these chapters looks at ethnographic description and anthropological interpretation of spirit possession phenomena, considering the roles of both rich description and faithful representation of cultural meaning for the generation of scientific theories.
Rein Taagepera
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199534661
- eISBN:
- 9780191715921
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199534661.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Political Economy
Science is not only about the empirical “What is?” but also very much about the conceptual “How should it be on logical grounds?” Statistical approaches are essentially descriptive, while ...
More
Science is not only about the empirical “What is?” but also very much about the conceptual “How should it be on logical grounds?” Statistical approaches are essentially descriptive, while quantitatively formulated logical models are essentially predictive in an explanatory way. Social sciences have overemphasized statistical data analysis, often limiting their logical models to prediction of the direction of effect, oblivious of its quantitative extent. A better balance of methods is possible and will make social sciences more relevant to society. This book is about going beyond regression and other statistical approaches, and also about improving their use.Less
Science is not only about the empirical “What is?” but also very much about the conceptual “How should it be on logical grounds?” Statistical approaches are essentially descriptive, while quantitatively formulated logical models are essentially predictive in an explanatory way. Social sciences have overemphasized statistical data analysis, often limiting their logical models to prediction of the direction of effect, oblivious of its quantitative extent. A better balance of methods is possible and will make social sciences more relevant to society. This book is about going beyond regression and other statistical approaches, and also about improving their use.
Penelope Mackie
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199272204
- eISBN:
- 9780191604034
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199272204.003.0010
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
Following Nathan Salmon and D. H. Mellor, this chapter argues that natural kind essentialism of the type advocated by Kripke and Putnam is not an inevitable consequence of the adoption of an ...
More
Following Nathan Salmon and D. H. Mellor, this chapter argues that natural kind essentialism of the type advocated by Kripke and Putnam is not an inevitable consequence of the adoption of an anti-descriptivist semantic theory of natural kind terms. It attempts to clarify various issues about the characteristics of natural kind essentialism and its relation to semantic theory, as well as reinforcing the distinction made earlier in the book between essentialism about individuals and essentialism about natural kinds. The author remains agnostic on the question of the truth of essentialism about natural kinds, but suggests reasons for scepticism about its plausibility in comparison with some weaker views, such as the theory that a natural kind has a Lockean ‘real essence’ which need not belong to the kind in all possible worlds.Less
Following Nathan Salmon and D. H. Mellor, this chapter argues that natural kind essentialism of the type advocated by Kripke and Putnam is not an inevitable consequence of the adoption of an anti-descriptivist semantic theory of natural kind terms. It attempts to clarify various issues about the characteristics of natural kind essentialism and its relation to semantic theory, as well as reinforcing the distinction made earlier in the book between essentialism about individuals and essentialism about natural kinds. The author remains agnostic on the question of the truth of essentialism about natural kinds, but suggests reasons for scepticism about its plausibility in comparison with some weaker views, such as the theory that a natural kind has a Lockean ‘real essence’ which need not belong to the kind in all possible worlds.
Wayne A. Davis
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199261659
- eISBN:
- 9780191603099
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199261652.003.0012
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
This chapter examines ‘Fregean theories’, which hold that the meaning of a proper name can, in principle, be defined using general terms or descriptions. The classical description theory holds that ...
More
This chapter examines ‘Fregean theories’, which hold that the meaning of a proper name can, in principle, be defined using general terms or descriptions. The classical description theory holds that the meaning of every proper name N can be given by a definite description of the form ‘the (unique) F’, for some general term F that is purely descriptive. It argues that no Fregean theory is plausible for standard proper names, although the classical theory fits logically descriptive names like May 9th. Objections cannot be completely eliminated by making scope distinctions or using rigid descriptions, nor by using indexical or metalinguistic descriptions.Less
This chapter examines ‘Fregean theories’, which hold that the meaning of a proper name can, in principle, be defined using general terms or descriptions. The classical description theory holds that the meaning of every proper name N can be given by a definite description of the form ‘the (unique) F’, for some general term F that is purely descriptive. It argues that no Fregean theory is plausible for standard proper names, although the classical theory fits logically descriptive names like May 9th. Objections cannot be completely eliminated by making scope distinctions or using rigid descriptions, nor by using indexical or metalinguistic descriptions.
Frank Fischer
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199242641
- eISBN:
- 9780191599255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019924264X.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This is the second of four chapters offering a postempiricist methodology for policy inquiry based on the logic of practical discourse, and explores the role of interpretation in policy analysis. ...
More
This is the second of four chapters offering a postempiricist methodology for policy inquiry based on the logic of practical discourse, and explores the role of interpretation in policy analysis. While empiricists have sought to restrict the focus on meaning to the observable dimensions of social reality, the interpretive orientation requires the social scientist also to pursue the unobservable. Because language is able to carry and transmit meanings among people, access to the realm of meaning often can be gained through the study of communication (both spoken and written), but such meanings are generally only indirectly made available through such communications, so it is necessary for the analyst to move beyond empirical methods (such as content analysis) to an interpretive reconstruction of the situational logic of social action. This involves inferring other people’s meanings by identifying patterns that emerge through an examination of the verbal and non-verbal messages they give about their beliefs and experiences. Narratives, for example, are a way of making the subjective dimensions of verbal actions more accessible, and the social world is in significant part organized and interpreted through narrative exchanges in their various forms. The different sections of this chapter look at interpretative policy analysis, interpretative frames, methodological strategies, policy analysis as ‘thick description’ (an approach for exploring and discovering the meanings embedded in the language and actions of policy actors), the objectivity of interpretation, validity as credibility, and social meaning and the question of causality.Less
This is the second of four chapters offering a postempiricist methodology for policy inquiry based on the logic of practical discourse, and explores the role of interpretation in policy analysis. While empiricists have sought to restrict the focus on meaning to the observable dimensions of social reality, the interpretive orientation requires the social scientist also to pursue the unobservable. Because language is able to carry and transmit meanings among people, access to the realm of meaning often can be gained through the study of communication (both spoken and written), but such meanings are generally only indirectly made available through such communications, so it is necessary for the analyst to move beyond empirical methods (such as content analysis) to an interpretive reconstruction of the situational logic of social action. This involves inferring other people’s meanings by identifying patterns that emerge through an examination of the verbal and non-verbal messages they give about their beliefs and experiences. Narratives, for example, are a way of making the subjective dimensions of verbal actions more accessible, and the social world is in significant part organized and interpreted through narrative exchanges in their various forms. The different sections of this chapter look at interpretative policy analysis, interpretative frames, methodological strategies, policy analysis as ‘thick description’ (an approach for exploring and discovering the meanings embedded in the language and actions of policy actors), the objectivity of interpretation, validity as credibility, and social meaning and the question of causality.
Thomas J. McKay
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199278145
- eISBN:
- 9780191707971
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278145.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
This chapter develops a formal treatment of definite descriptions indicating how the singular and plural descriptions are related and exactly how they differ from (and are analogous to) mass ...
More
This chapter develops a formal treatment of definite descriptions indicating how the singular and plural descriptions are related and exactly how they differ from (and are analogous to) mass descriptions. The formal theory is applied to produce a natural solution to a puzzle about plurals connected with Philip Bricker.Less
This chapter develops a formal treatment of definite descriptions indicating how the singular and plural descriptions are related and exactly how they differ from (and are analogous to) mass descriptions. The formal theory is applied to produce a natural solution to a puzzle about plurals connected with Philip Bricker.
Thomas J. McKay
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199278145
- eISBN:
- 9780191707971
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278145.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
This chapter considers the significance of the context sensitivity of definite descriptions (singular and plural) and suggests some ways of understanding it. It argues that many uses of definite ...
More
This chapter considers the significance of the context sensitivity of definite descriptions (singular and plural) and suggests some ways of understanding it. It argues that many uses of definite descriptions are ‘incomplete’. That is, the explicit definite description does not uniquely specify an individual or, in the plural case, some maximally inclusive individuals; we rely on context to provide the additional resources that make the description uniquely applicable. Two processes of contextual supplementation are important here. One is predicate supplementation: a brief definite description stands proxy for a longer definite description that can be constructed by adding predicates that are explicit in the discourse context. The other is domain restriction: the context restricts the domain for the definite description, with uniqueness achieved within that smaller domain.Less
This chapter considers the significance of the context sensitivity of definite descriptions (singular and plural) and suggests some ways of understanding it. It argues that many uses of definite descriptions are ‘incomplete’. That is, the explicit definite description does not uniquely specify an individual or, in the plural case, some maximally inclusive individuals; we rely on context to provide the additional resources that make the description uniquely applicable. Two processes of contextual supplementation are important here. One is predicate supplementation: a brief definite description stands proxy for a longer definite description that can be constructed by adding predicates that are explicit in the discourse context. The other is domain restriction: the context restricts the domain for the definite description, with uniqueness achieved within that smaller domain.
