Philosophy of Language Comprehensive Exam Reading List

(An asterisk* indicates that the work is available, in whole or suitable abridgment, in The Philosophy of Language, ed. A. Martinich (Oxford University Press, 2000.) Two asterisks** indicate that the work is available, in whole or suitable abridgment, in Readings in the Philosophy of Language, ed. P. Ludlow (The MIT Press, 1997.) Three asterisks*** indicate that the work is available, in whole or suitable abridgment, in The Nature of Truth, ed. M. Lynch (The MIT Press, 2001.))

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1. Meaning
1. L. Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, secs. 1-242 (or: excerpt from The Blue and Brown Book**)
2. W. Quine, Word and Object, ch. II (or: excerpt in 49-58**)
3. P. Grice, "Meaning"*,**
4. D. Davidson, "Truth and Meaning"*,**
5. M. Dummett, "What is a Theory of Meaning?"**
2. Analytic-Synthetic
1. W.V.O. Quine (1953). "Two Dogmas of Empiricism," in From A Logical Point of View.
2. P. Grice and Strawson (1956), "In Defense of Dogma," Philosophical Review: 141-158.
3. P. Boghossian (1997). "Analycity." In B. Hale & C. Wright (eds) The Blackwell Companion to the Philosophy of Language.
4. J. Katz. (1989). "The Domino Theory," Philosophical Studies
3. Proper Names
1. G. Frege, "On Sense and Reference (Nominatum)"*,**
2. J. Searle, "Proper Names"**
3. S. Kripke, Naming and Necessity, 3-97*,**
4. G. Evans, "The Casual Theory of Names"*,**
4. Descriptions
1. Russell, "On Denoting"*
2. Russell, "Descriptions," Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, 167-80*,**
3. P. Strawson, "On Referring"*,**
4. K. Donnellan, "Reference and Definite Descriptions"*,**
5. S. Kripke, "Speaker's Reference and Semantic Reference"**
5. Demonstratives
1. G. Frege, "The Thought (Thoughts)"**
2. D. Kaplan, "Demonstratives"
3. J. Perry, "Frege on Demonstratives"**
6. Other Terms
1. S. Kripke, Naming and Necessity, 116-39, 156-7
2. H. Putnam, "The Meaning of 'Meaning"' in Mind, Language and Reality (or "Meaning and Reference"*)
3. T. Burge, "Individualism and the Mental" in Midwest Studies IV
7. Attitude Ascriptions
1. W. Quine, "Quantifers and Propositional Attitudes"*
2. D. Davidson, "On Saying That"*,**
3. D. Kaplan, "Quantifying In"*
4. S. Kripke, "A Puzzle About Belief"*,**
8. Truth
1. Tarski, "The Semantic Conception of Truth"***
2. H. Field, "Tarski's Theory of Truth"***
3. P. Horwich, "A Defense of Minimalism"***
4. Grover, H. Camp and N. Belnap, "The Prosentential Theory of Truth"***

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