Logicians have written a great deal on the semantics of conditional sentences. This book contends that insufficient attention has been paid to the syntax of conditionals, as investigated by linguists. Syntactic data are used to make the case that "If"-clauses tacitly quantify over items called "events," "circumstances," or "conditions." This motivates a semantic theory of conditionals that concentrates on "only if," "even if" and "unless" as well as on "If...then." The theory is then applied to a number of examples from the literature, and its predictions and successes compare favorably to...
Logicians have written a great deal on the semantics of conditional sentences. This book contends that insufficient attention has been paid to the syn...
What is consciousness? The answer to this question has been pondered upon, grappled with, and argued about since time immemorial. There has never been an answer that achieved consensus; certainly philosophers have never agreed.In this book, William Lycan defends an original theory of mind that he calls "homuncular functionalism." He argues that human beings are "functionally organized information-processing systems" who have no non-physical parts or properties. However, Lycan also recognizes the subjective phenomenal qualities of mental states and events, and an important sense in which...
What is consciousness? The answer to this question has been pondered upon, grappled with, and argued about since time immemorial. There has never b...
Part I of this book presents a theory of modal metaphysics in the possible-worlds tradition. Worlds' themselves are understood as structured sets of properties; this Ersatzist' view is defended against its most vigorous competitors, Meinongianism and David Lewis' theory of existent concrete worlds. Related issues of essentialism and linguistic reference are explored. Part II takes up the question of lexical meaning in the context of possible-world semantics. There are skeptical analyses of analyticity and the notion of a logical constant; and an infinite polysemy' thesis is defended....
Part I of this book presents a theory of modal metaphysics in the possible-worlds tradition. Worlds' themselves are understood as structured sets of p...
Part I of this book presents a theory of modal metaphysics in the possible-worlds tradition. Worlds' themselves are understood as structured sets of properties; this Ersatzist' view is defended against its most vigorous competitors, Meinongianism and David Lewis' theory of existent concrete worlds. Related issues of essentialism and linguistic reference are explored. Part II takes up the question of lexical meaning in the context of possible-world semantics. There are skeptical analyses of analyticity and the notion of a logical constant; and an infinite polysemy' thesis is defended....
Part I of this book presents a theory of modal metaphysics in the possible-worlds tradition. Worlds' themselves are understood as structured sets of p...
William G. Lycan offers a fresh approach to the long-running debate among philosophers and logicians about the best way to analyze and understand conditional sentences. Lycan attends not just to the semantics of such sentences, but equally to their syntax, making use of insights from linguistic theory. Real Conditionals is the definitive presentation of Lycan's view, written in his characteristically lively style.
William G. Lycan offers a fresh approach to the long-running debate among philosophers and logicians about the best way to analyze and understand cond...
First published in 1990, Mind and Cognition: An Anthology is now firmly established as a popular teaching apparatus for upper level undergraduate and graduate courses in the philosophy of mind.
Brings together the most important classic and contemporary articles in philosophy of mind and cognition
Completely revised and updated throughout, in response to feedback from teachers in the field
Now includes 20 new readings
Each updated part opens with a brief, synoptic introduction to the individual field and a...
First published in 1990, Mind and Cognition: An Anthology is now firmly established as a popular teaching apparatus for upper level undergradua...
