Expressivism, Pragmatism and Representationalism
Expressivism, Pragmatism and Representationalism
Simon Blackburn, University of Cambridge
Robert Brandom, University of Pittsburgh
Paul Horwich, New York University
Michael Williams, Johns Hopkins University
Pragmatists have traditionally been enemies of representationalism but friends of naturalism, when naturalism is understood to pertain to human subjects, in the sense of Hume and Nietzsche. In this volume Huw Price presents his distinctive version of this traditional combination, as delivered in his René Descartes Lectures at Tilburg University in 2008. Price contrasts his view with other contemporary forms of philosophical naturalism, comparing it with other pragmatist and neo-pragmatist views such as those of Robert Brandom and Simon Blackburn. Linking their different 'expressivist' programmes, Price argues for a radical global expressivism that combines key elements from both. With Paul Horwich and Michael Williams, Brandom and Blackburn respond to Price in new essays. Price replies in the closing essay, emphasising links between his views and those of Wilfrid Sellars. The volume will be of great interest to advanced students of philosophy of language and metaphysics.
- Features the Descartes Lectures delivered by Price in 2008 at the University of Tilburg
- Offers an engaged discussion between Price and four other leading figures in the field
- Presents Price's original version of the traditional relationship between representationalism and naturalism
Reviews & endorsements
"A fascinating set of lectures, commentaries, and replies. I have learned much from the arguments that Huw Price and the commentators advance."
Allan Gibbard, University of Michigan
"Price’s book is a refreshing and commendable addition to recent work on representationalism. His arguments are novel and forceful."
Analysis and Metaphysics
"If I could make it required reading for all first-year philosophy graduate students, I would."
Joshua Gert, Mind
Product details
June 2013Paperback
9780521279062
218 pages
226 × 152 × 10 mm
0.33kg
Available
Related links
Table of Contents
- Notes on the contributors
- Preface
- Part I. The Descartes Lectures 2008:
- 1. Naturalism without representationalism
- 2. Two expressivist programmes, two bifurcations
- 3. Pluralism, 'world' and the primacy of science
- Part II. Commentaries:
- 4. Pragmatism: all or some?
- 5. Naturalism, deflationism and the relative priority of language and metaphysics
- 6. How pragmatists can be local expressivists
- Part III. Postscript and Replies:
- 7. Prospects for global expressivism
- Bibliography
- Index.
