Language, Names, and Information

Many take the description theory of reference for proper names to be dead in the water. Contrary to this view, Language, Names, and Information defends a version of the description theory from a perspective on language that sees words as a wonderful source of information about the nature of the world we live in. Indeed, the book is as much about the implications of this perspective for discussions of meaning and reference in general as it is for the particular topic of names. Representation and information, two–dimensionalism about content, the role of possible worlds and centered worlds, the distinction between what is metaphysically possible and what is conceptually possible, and rigidity all make their appearances as required by the informational perspective on language.

Prologue.

Lecture One: The Debate over the Theory of Reference for Proper Names.

Lecture Two: Understanding, Representation, Information.

Lecture Three: Ir–content and the Set of Worlds Where a Sentence is True.

Lecture Four: Two Spaceism.

Lecture Five: The Informational Value of Names.

References.

Index.

Frank Jackson is Visiting Professor in Philosophy at Princeton University and holds a fractional appointment as Distinguished Professor at The Australian National University. Jackson is a corresponding fellow of the British Academy and the author of several books and papers on a wide range of topics in analytical philosophy.