Philosophy of Language

Edited by Berit Brogaard (University of Miami)
Assistant editor: Jiangtian Li (University of Toronto at Scarborough)
About this topic
Summary "Philosophy of language" refers to an area of philosophy concerned with the syntactic properties as well as the meaning and reference of linguistic expressions, the things implied or indicated by linguistic expressions and the attributes of linguistic expressions as a function of linguistic and conversational contexts.
Key works General collections of papers include The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Language, A Companion to the Philosophy of Language and The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Language. William Lycan's Philosophy of Language offers a good introduction to the area.
Introductions Encyclopedia articles include Michael P. Wolf, Philosophy of Language, Mark Crimmins, Philosophy of Language and Jennifer Saul, Feminist Philosophy of Language
In this area
Subcategories
Philosophy of Linguistics (11,305 | 4,022)Edison Barrios
Syntax* (1,042 | 371)
Semantics (4,771 | 4,088)
Formal Semantics (395)
Generative Semantics (20)
Lexical Semantics (148)
Semantic Phenomena* (1,494 | 227)
Semantic Theories* (1,944 | 555)Aran Arslan
Specific Expressions* (11,192 | 257)Michael De
Semantics-Pragmatics Distinction* (493)
Semantics, Misc (120)
Other Areas of Linguistics (1,049 | 494)
Computational Linguistics (69)
Historical Linguistics (68)Claudia Meadows
Natural Language Processing* (92)
Phonology (56)
Pragmatics* (7,215 | 130)Christopher Gauker
Psycholinguistics (260)
Sociolinguistics (62)
Other Areas of Linguistics, Misc (40)
Methodology of Linguistics (508 | 66)
Competence and Performance (44)Gareth Fitzgerald
Linguistic Intuitions (87)Gareth Fitzgerald
Prescriptivism and Descriptivism (5)
Psychological Reality in Linguistics (120)Gareth Fitzgerald
Experimental Philosophy: Corpus Analysis* (83)Kevin Reuter
Methodology of Linguistics, Misc (186)Gareth Fitzgerald
Philosophy of Linguistics, Miscellaneous (955 | 467)
Knowledge of Language* (664 | 628)Guy Longworth
Linguistic Innateness* (121 | 74)
The Status of Linguistic Theories (158)
Language Acquisition (121)
Philosophy of Linguistics, Misc (209)
Language Production and Comprehension (884 | 47)
Knowledge of Language (664 | 628)Guy Longworth
Competence and Performance* (44)Gareth Fitzgerald
Nature of Linguistic Knowledge (15)
Knowledge of Syntax (3)
Knowledge of Language, Misc (6)
Language Understanding* (73)
Linguistic Intuitions* (87)Gareth Fitzgerald
Lexical Knowledge (12)
Language Acquisition* (121)
Language Understanding (73)
Linguistic Perception (27 | 5)
Perception of Meaning (6)
Speech Perception (10)
Linguistic Perception, Misc (6)
Language Production (19)
Natural Language Processing* (92)
Psycholinguistics* (260)
Speech and Language Disorders (25)
Language Production and Comprehension, Misc (29)
Languages (3,032 | 324)Guy Longworth
Linguistic Convention (267)Guy Longworth
Idiolects (98)Guy Longworth
Knowledge of Language* (664 | 628)Guy Longworth
Languages, Misc (875)Guy Longworth
Linguistic Universals (540)Guy Longworth
Private Language (202)Guy Longworth
Public Language (158)Guy Longworth
Sign Language (7)
Words (561)Guy Longworth
Language and Society (556 | 234)
Freedom of Speech* (248)
Law and Language* (312 | 170)Hrafn Asgeirsson
Propaganda (275)Teresa Marques
Slurs* (196)Chang Liu
Sociolinguistics* (62)
Language and Society, Misc (47)
Meaning (11,501 | 1,911)Steven Gross
The Basis of Meaning (631)Indrek Reiland
Deflationary Theories of Meaning (35)Indrek Reiland
Inferentialist Accounts of Meaning and Content* (394)Paul Piwek
Interpretivist Accounts of Meaning and Content* (205)
Intention-Based Theories of Meaning (78)Indrek Reiland
Thought-Based Theories of Meaning (29)Indrek Reiland
Use Theories of Meaning (150)Indrek Reiland
Naturalizing Mental Content* (1,563 | 174)
Theories of Reference* (658 | 204)
Verificationist Theories of Meaning (43)Indrek Reiland
Rule-Based Theories of Meaning (48)Indrek Reiland
The Basis of Meaning, Misc (248)Indrek Reiland
Aspects of Meaning (1,160 | 1)Indrek Reiland
Kripkenstein on Meaning (273)Indrek Reiland
Meaning Holism (267)Indrek Reiland
Speaker Meaning and Linguistic Meaning (137)Indrek Reiland
Normativity of Meaning and Content (301)Indrek Reiland
Aspects of Meaning, Misc (181)Indrek Reiland
Analyticity (932 | 99)
Conceptual Analysis* (496)Joachim Horvath
Analyticity and A Priority (94)
Definitions (168)
Synonymy (97)
The Analytic-Synthetic Distinction (358)
The Paradox of Analysis (38)
Analyticity, Misc (78)
Interpretation (391 | 186)
Interpretivist Accounts of Meaning and Content* (205)
The Principle of Charity (72)
Radical Interpretation (78)
Legal Interpretation* (85 | 52)
Literary Interpretation* (892)Alberto Comparini
Interpretivist Theories of Law* (46)Francesco Cavinato
Interpretability in Artificial Intelligence* (25)Keith Begley
The Interpretation of Art* (168)
Interpretation, Misc (55)
Propositions (1,543 | 135)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Propositions as Acts (93)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Propositions as Pleonastic (26)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Propositions as Sets of Worlds (89)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Propositions as Simple (21)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Structured Propositions (285)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Singular Propositions (168)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Propositional Temporalism and Eternalism (52)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
The Role of Propositions (84)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Propositions and That-Clauses (86)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Attitude Ascriptions* (835 | 298)Gary Ostertag
Propositions and Facts (75)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
The Unity of the Proposition (165)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Propositions, Misc (264)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Translation (342 | 131)
The Indeterminacy of Translation (136)
Translation, Misc (75)
Semantic Phenomena (1,494 | 227)
Ambiguity and Polysemy (111)
Compositionality (326)Peter Pagin
Context and Context-Dependence* (1,069 | 308)Brian Rabern
Conventional Implicature (64)Brian Robinson
Intensionality and Opacity (129)
Logical Form (307)
Nonliteral Meaning (52)
Scope (151)
Semantic Values (65)
Semantic Phenomena, Misc (62)
Metaphor* (928)Alper Yavuz
Fregean Theories of Meaning (546 | 122)Alex Radulescu
Frege's Puzzle (152)Alex Radulescu
Fregean Sense (190)Alex Radulescu
Fregean Theories of Attitude Ascriptions* (67)Gary Ostertag
Fregean and Russellian Contents* (47)
Fregean Theories, Misc (82)Alex Radulescu
Russellian and Direct Reference Theories of Meaning (210 | 123)
Direct Reference Theories of Indexicals* (77)Brian Rabern
Millian Theories of Names* (125)
Russellian Theories of Attitude Ascriptions* (77)Gary Ostertag
Singular Propositions* (168)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Structured Propositions* (285)Thomas William Strickland Hodgson
Russellian and Direct Reference Theories, Misc (87)
Semantic Theories (1,944 | 555)Aran Arslan
Conceptual Semantics (42)Aran Arslan
Event-Based Semantics (29)
Fregean Theories of Meaning* (546 | 122)Alex Radulescu
Possible World Semantics (400)Mark Jago
Justificationist Semantics (13)
Relevance Theory* (256)Catherine Wearing
Russellian and Direct Reference Theories of Meaning* (210 | 123)
Situation Semantics (68)Aran Arslan
Truth-Conditional Theories (246)Aran Arslan
Truthmaker Semantics (56)Federico L. G. Faroldi
Two-Dimensional Semantics (165)David Chalmers
Type-Theoretic Semantics (45)Aran Arslan
The Nature of Contents* (1,491 | 239)
Dynamic Semantics (178)
Use-Conditional Semantics (7)
Semantic Theories, Misc (140)Aran Arslan
Intentionality* (13,845 | 1,907)Robert D. Rupert
Meaning, Misc (397)
Reference (1,733 | 445)Stavroula Glezakos
Theories of Reference (658 | 204)
Causal Theories of Reference (189)
Deflationary Theories of Reference (16)
Descriptive Theories of Reference (100)
Russellian and Direct Reference Theories of Meaning* (210 | 123)
Theories of Reference, Misc (149)
Aspects of Reference (431 | 147)
Indeterminacy and Inscrutability of Reference (44)
Empty Names* (151)Lee Walters
Intension and Extension (19)
Nonreferring Expressions (25)
Reference Failure (22)
Rigid Designation (105)
Speaker Meaning and Linguistic Meaning* (137)Indrek Reiland
Aspects of Reference, Misc (69)
Reference, Misc (199)
Philosophy of Language, Miscellaneous (2,884 | 367)
Evolution of Language (329)
Feminist Philosophy of Language (320)Nicole Wyatt
Law and Language* (312 | 170)Hrafn Asgeirsson
The Role of Language in Thought (478)Min Tang
Use and Mention (43)
Philosophy of Language, General Works (527)
Philosophy of Language, Misc (820)
Pragmatics (7,215 | 130)Christopher Gauker
Assertion (1,024 | 190)Ofra Magidor
Moore's Paradox (243)Peter van Elswyk
Assertion, Misc (163)
Conditional Assertion* (33)
Norms of Assertion (428)Matthew A. Benton
Context and Context-Dependence (1,069 | 308)Brian Rabern
Context and Logical Form (83)Brian Rabern
Character and Content* (106)Brian Rabern
Epistemic Contextualism* (1,027 | 130)Jonathan Ichikawa
Semantic Contextualism (76)
Semantic Minimalism (94)Brian Rabern
The Nature of Context (140)Brian Rabern
The Scope of Context-Dependence (123)Brian Rabern
Contextual Theories of Vagueness* (90)Susanne Bobzien
Hidden-Indexical Theories of Attitude Ascriptions* (34)Gary Ostertag
Predicates and Context-Dependence* (87)Jonny McIntosh
Context and Context-Dependence, Misc (245)Brian Rabern
Discourse (503 | 334)Emar Maier
Dialogue (21)
Discourse Coherence (120)Peter van Elswyk
Discourse Representation (13)
Discourse, Misc (15)
Implicature (353 | 42)Brian Robinson
Conventional Implicature* (64)Brian Robinson
Conversational Implicature (223)Brian Robinson
Implicature, Misc (88)Brian Robinson
Linguistic Communication (329)Christopher Gauker
Linguistic Focus (69)
Linguistic Force (85)
Metaphor (928)Alper Yavuz
Presupposition (361)Filippo Domaneschi
Relevance Theory (256)Catherine Wearing
Semantics-Pragmatics Distinction (493)
Speech Acts (1,139 | 940)
Apologies* (121)John Fan
Lying* (181 | 124)Neri Marsili
Assertion* (1,024 | 190)Ofra Magidor
Theories of Speech Acts (17)
Taxonomies of Speech Acts (8)
Norm of Speech Acts (20)Grzegorz Gaszczyk
Functions of Speech Acts (16)
Logic of Speech Acts (3)
Promises* (584)Allen Habib
Performatives (100)
Speech Acts, Misc (35)
Pragmatics, Misc (476)
Specific Expressions (11,192 | 257)Michael De
Adverbs (48)
Attitude Ascriptions (835 | 298)Gary Ostertag
De Re Belief* (169)Oliver Marshall
Desire Ascriptions (47)Gary Ostertag
Fregean Theories of Attitude Ascriptions (67)Gary Ostertag
Perceptual Reports* (61)Benj Hellie
Russellian Theories of Attitude Ascriptions (77)Gary Ostertag
Frege's Puzzle* (152)Alex Radulescu
Hidden-Indexical Theories of Attitude Ascriptions (34)Gary Ostertag
Substitutivity in Attitude Ascriptions (84)Gary Ostertag
Kripke's Puzzle About Belief (90)Gary Ostertag
Speech Reports* (62)Martín Abreu Zavaleta
Attitude Ascriptions, Misc (138)Gary Ostertag
Conditionals (2,409 | 603)
Truth-Conditional Accounts of Indicative Conditionals (160)Michał Sikorski
Epistemic Accounts of Indicative Conditionals (122)
Pragmatic Accounts of Indicative Conditionals (25)
Indicative Conditionals and Conditional Probabilities (196)
Indicative Conditionals, Misc (106)
Possible-World Theories of Counterfactuals (263)
Logic of Conditionals (285)
Causal Theories of Counterfactuals (40)
Counterpossible Conditionals (60)
Indicative vs Subjunctive Conditionals (56)
Conditional Assertion (33)
Subjunctive Conditionals, Misc (296)
Conditionals, Misc (164)
Connectives (408 | 30)
Causal Connectives (0)
Explanatory Connectives (0)
Conditionals* (2,409 | 603)
Conjunction (41)
Disjunction (70)
Logical Connectives* (444 | 239)
Negation (231)
Connectives, Misc (36)
Descriptions (545 | 207)Eliot Michaelson
Attributive and Referential Uses of Descriptions (61)Eliot Michaelson
Descriptions as Predicates (17)Eliot Michaelson
Descriptive Theories of Reference* (100)
Descriptive Theories of Names* (70)
Incompleteness of Descriptions (33)Eliot Michaelson
Indefinite Descriptions (37)Eliot Michaelson
Presuppositional Account of Descriptions (20)Eliot Michaelson
Russell's Theory of Descriptions (86)Eliot Michaelson
Descriptions, Misc (84)Eliot Michaelson
Determiners (96 | 66)
Articles (5)
Complex Demonstratives* (45)Brian Rabern
Determiners, Misc (4)
Numerical Expressions (15)
Possessives (6)
Quantifiers* (1,626 | 423)
Generics (194)Miguel Hoeltje
Indexicals and Demonstratives (698 | 138)Brian Rabern
Character and Content (106)Brian Rabern
Complex Demonstratives (45)Brian Rabern
Demonstrative Theories of Names* (13)
Demonstratives, Misc (85)Brian Rabern
Direct Reference Theories of Indexicals (77)Brian Rabern
Indexicals, Misc (142)Brian Rabern
The First-Person Pronoun (74)Brian Rabern
Pure and Impure Indexicals (31)Brian Rabern
Modal Expressions (461 | 81)
Possible-World Theories of Counterfactuals* (263)
Deontic Modals (127)
Epistemic Modals (189)Joe Salerno
Modal Expressions, Misc (64)
Names (741 | 308)
Causal Theories of Names (23)
Demonstrative Theories of Names (13)
Descriptive Theories of Names (70)
Empty Names (151)Lee Walters
Frege's Puzzle* (152)Alex Radulescu
Kripke's Puzzle About Belief* (90)Gary Ostertag
Millian Theories of Names (125)
Rigid Designation* (105)
Names, Misc (51)
Nouns (616 | 165)
Singular Terms (68)
General Terms (26)
Kind Terms (78)
Names* (741 | 308)
Mass Nouns and Count Nouns (73)Henry Laycock
Slurs (196)Chang Liu
Nouns, Misc (10)
Predicates (440 | 108)
Adjectives, Misc (16)
Gradable Adjectives (60)
Predicates and Context-Dependence (87)Jonny McIntosh
Kinds of Predicate (11)
States, Activities, Accomplishments, Achievements (53)Carrie Figdor
Taste Predicates (76)Julia Zakkou
Predicates, Misc (29)
Pronouns and Anaphora (305)Peter van Elswyk
Quantifiers (1,626 | 423)
Generalized Quantifiers (438)Jakub Szymanik
Plural Quantification (153)Salvatore Florio
Quantification and Ontology (325)Gregory Lavers
Quantifier Restriction (49)
Unrestricted Quantification (68)Salvatore Florio
Substitutional Quantification (59)Geoff Georgi
Variables* (55)
Quantifiers, Misc (111)
Questions (540)Moritz Cordes
Quotation (189)
Temporal Expressions (475)
Verbs (138 | 63)
Attitude Ascriptions* (835 | 298)Gary Ostertag
Intensional Transitive Verbs (58)Justin D'Ambrosio
States, Activities, Accomplishments, Achievements* (53)Carrie Figdor
Verbs, Misc (17)
Speech Reports (62)Martín Abreu Zavaleta
Specific Expressions, Misc (109)
Syntax (1,042 | 371)
Syntactic Phenomena (266 | 128)
Binding (23)
Ellipsis (63)
Grammaticality (7)
Scope* (151)
Syntactic Categories (21)
Syntactic Phenomena, Misc (24)
Syntactic Theories (284 | 129)
Government and Binding (19)
The Minimalist Program (21)
Nontransformational Grammars (10)
Transformational Grammar (17)
Universal Grammar (61)
Syntactic Theories, Misc (27)
Linguistic Innateness (121 | 74)
Linguistic Universals* (540)Guy Longworth
Linguistic Innateness, Misc (28)
Poverty of the Stimulus (19)
Universal Grammar* (61)
Truth (5,099 | 875)Patrick Greenough
Theories of Truth (3,120 | 39)Patrick Greenough
Coherence Theory of Truth (161)Patrick Greenough
Correspondence Theory of Truth (349)Patrick Greenough
Deflationism about Truth (1,100 | 3)Joseph Ulatowski
Minimalism about Truth (309)Joseph Ulatowski
Disquotationalism about Truth (158)Joseph Ulatowski
Prosententialism about Truth (76)Joseph Ulatowski
Deflationism about Truth, Misc (554)Joseph Ulatowski
Pragmatism about Truth (235)Patrick Greenough
Tarskian Theories of Truth (203)Patrick Greenough
Identity Theory of Truth (44)Daniel James Brigham
Revision Theory of Truth (130)Shawn Standefer
Prosentential Theory of Truth (33)Joseph Ulatowski
Primitivism about Truth (94)Jamin Asay
Pluralism about Truth (234)Cory Wright
Contextualism about Truth (44)
Theories of Truth, Misc (454)Patrick Greenough
Truth, Miscellaneous (1,104 | 10)Patrick Greenough
Relativism about Truth (358)Jonny McIntosh
Truth Bearers (89)Patrick Greenough
Truth and Justification (22)Patrick Greenough
Truthmakers* (734)Jamin Asay
Truth-Aptness (13)
Truth-Values (51)
Truth-Value Gaps (60)
Truth-Value Gluts (27)
Truth, Misc (474)Patrick Greenough
Liar Paradox* (2,103)Kevin Scharp
Vagueness and Indeterminacy* (2,189 | 279)Susanne Bobzien
Vagueness and Indeterminacy (2,189 | 279)Susanne Bobzien
Theories of Vagueness (914 | 195)Susanne Bobzien
Contextual Theories of Vagueness (90)Susanne Bobzien
Degree Theories of Vagueness (97)Susanne Bobzien
Epistemic Theories of Vagueness (124)Susanne Bobzien
Incoherentism about Vagueness (22)Susanne Bobzien
Intuitionistic Theories of Vagueness (21)Susanne Bobzien
Nihilism about Vagueness (19)Susanne Bobzien
Many-Valued Logic (76)Susanne Bobzien
Supervaluationism (141)Susanne Bobzien
Truth-Value Gluts* (27)
Truth-Value Gaps* (60)
Theories of Vagueness, Misc (129)Susanne Bobzien
Indeterminacy (406 | 132)
Quantum Indeterminacy* (123)Thomas Pashby
Indeterminacy, Misc (29)
Indeterminacy in Mathematics* (44)Rafal Urbaniak
Problem of the Many* (68)
The Open Future* (316)Sam Baron
Indeterminacy and Legal Reasoning* (56)
The Indeterminacy of Translation* (136)
Indeterminacy and Inscrutability of Reference* (44)
Metaphysical Indeterminacy (245)Alessandro Torza
Vagueness and Indeterminacy, Misc (590 | 201)Susanne Bobzien
Higher-Order Vagueness (75)Susanne Bobzien
Sorites Paradox (192)Susanne Bobzien
Vague Objects* (114)
Vague Identity* (149)Eric de Araujo
Open Texture (6)
Vagueness in Ethics and the Law (89)Susanne Bobzien
Vagueness and Indeterminacy, Miscellaneous (27)
History/traditions: Philosophy of Language
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