Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories New Foundations for Realism

Beginning with a general theory of function applied to body organs, behaviors, customs, and both inner and outer representations, Ruth Millikan argues that the intentionality of language can be described without reference to speaker intentions and that an understanding of the intentionality of thought can and should be divorced from the problem of understanding consciousness. The results support a realist theory of truth and of universals, and open the way for a nonfoundationalist and nonholistic approach to epistemology. The book covers such topics as three dimensions of meaning; the functions of indexicals, descriptions, "is," "exists," "all," negation and intentional contexts; the act of identifying; the ontology of identity including identity over time; and the significance of subject-predicate structure for construction of a nonholist realist epistemology. A Bradford BookMillikan, Ruth G. is the author of 'Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories New Foundations for Realism' with ISBN 9780262631150 and ISBN 0262631156.