Wayne Davis presents a highly original approach to the foundations of semantics, showing how the so-called "expression" theory of meaning can handle names and other problematic cases of nondescriptive meaning. The fact that thoughts have parts ("ideas" or "concepts") is fundamental: Davis argues that like other unstructured words, names mean what they do because they are conventionally used to express atomic or basic ideas. In the process he shows that many pillars of contemporary philosophical semantics, from twin earth arguments to the necessity of identity, are unfounded.

H. P. Grice's theory of implicature provides the leading paradigm for research in pragmatics. Wayne Davis argues controversially that Gricean theory does not work. In developing his argument the author explains that the psycho-social principles actually define the social function of implicature conventions, which contribute to the satisfaction of those principles. By offering a searching and systematic critique of one of the established doctrines in the philosophy of language, this challenging book will be of particular importance to philosophers of language and linguists, especially those...

This philosophical treatise on the foundations of semantics represents a systematic effort to clarify, deepen, and defend the classical doctrine that words are conventional signs of mental states; principally, thoughts and ideas; and that meaning consists in their expression. This expression theory of meaning is developed by carrying out the Gricean program, explaining the significance of words to have meaning in terms of speaker meaning, and for a speaker to mean something in terms of intention. Grice's own formulations are rejected, and alternatives are developed.

This philosophical treatise on the foundations of semantics represents a systematic effort to clarify, deepen, and defend the classical doctrine that words are conventional signs of mental states; principally, thoughts and ideas; and that meaning consists in their expression. This expression theory of meaning is developed by carrying out the Gricean program, explaining the significance of words to have meaning in terms of speaker meaning, and for a speaker to mean something in terms of intention. Grice's own formulations are rejected, and alternatives are developed.

The author integrates, expands, and deepens his previous publications about irregular (or "metalinguistic") negations.