Language, Names, and Information
Language, Names, and Information is an important contribution to philosophy of language by one of its foremost scholars, challenging the pervasive view that the description theory of proper names is dead in the water, and defending 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. It discusses several topics at the center of current debates, including representation and information, two-dimensionalism, possible worlds, and broad vs. narrow content.
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.
