Causal Theories Of Reference For Proper Names

Author : Nicolae Sfetcu
Publisher : MultiMedia Publishing
Page : 28 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2024-06-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9786060333098

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Causal Theories of Reference for Proper Names by Nicolae Sfetcu Pdf

Presentation and comparison of the main causal theories of reference for proper names, and a proposal of a new approach based on the analogy of the causal chain of reference with the block chain from blockchain technology and Paul Ricœur's narrative theory. After a brief Introduction in which the types of sentences from the concept of possible worlds are reviewed, and an overview of the theory in the Causal Theory of Reference, I present the causal theory of the reference proposed by Saul Kripke, then two hybrid causal theories developed by Gareth Evans and Michael Devitt. In the section Blockchain and the causal tree of reference I present my idea of developing a new causal theory of reference for proper names through a causal tree of reference. In the Conclusions I talk about the further development of the ways in which the terms of reference could refer to certain objects and individuals, the main criticisms of the causal theories, and suggestions for future development. CONTENTS: Abstract Introduction 1. The causal theory of reference 2. Saul Kripke 3. Gareth Evans 4. Michael Devitt 5. Blockchain and the causal tree of reference Conclusions Bibliografie DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.26330.90562

Author : Saul A. Kripke
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 196 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 1980
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0674598466

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Naming and Necessity by Saul A. Kripke Pdf

If there is such a thing as essential reading in metaphysics or in philosophy of language, this is it. Ever since the publication of its original version, Naming and Necessity has had great and increasing influence. It redirected philosophical attention to neglected questions of natural and metaphysical necessity and to the connections between these and theories of reference, in particular of naming, and of identity. From a critique of the dominant tendency to assimilate names to descriptions and more generally to treat their reference as a function of their Fregean sense, surprisingly deep and widespread consequences may be drawn. The largely discredited distinction between accidental and essential properties, both of individual things (including people) and of kinds of things, is revived. So is a consequent view of science as what seeks out the essences of natural kinds. Traditional objections to such views are dealt with by sharpening distinctions between epistemic and metaphysical necessity; in particular by the startling admission of necessary a posteriori truths. From these, in particular from identity statements using rigid designators whether of things or of kinds, further remarkable consequences are drawn for the natures of things, of people, and of kinds; strong objections follow, for example to identity versions of materialism as a theory of the mind. This seminal work, to which today's thriving essentialist metaphysics largely owes its impetus, is here published with a substantial new Preface by the author.

Author : Steven Davis
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 433 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2012-01-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783110843828

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Causal Theories of Mind by Steven Davis Pdf

Author : Michael Devitt,Kim Sterelny
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 366 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 0262540991

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Language and Reality by Michael Devitt,Kim Sterelny Pdf

What is language? How does it relate to the world? How does it relate to the mind? Should our view of language influence our view of the world? These are among the central issues covered in this spirited and unusually clear introduction to the philosophy of language. Making no pretense of neutrality, Michael Devitt and Kim Sterelny take a definite theoretical stance. Central to that stance is naturalism--that is, they treat a philosophical theory of language as an empirical theory like any other and see people as nothing but complex parts of the physical world. This leads them, controversially, to a deflationary view of the significance of the study of language: they dismiss the idea that the philosophy of language should be preeminent in philosophy. This highly successful textbook has been extensively rewritten for the second edition to reflect recent developments in the field.

Author : Nicolae Sfetcu
Publisher : MultiMedia Publishing
Page : 936 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2024-06-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9786060334743

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Philosophical Essays by Nicolae Sfetcu Pdf

A collection of personal essays in philosophy of science (physics, especially gravity), philosophy of information and communication technology, current social issues (emotional intelligence, COVID-19 pandemic, eugenics, intelligence), philosophy of art, and logic and philosophy of language. The distinction between falsification and refutation in the demarcation problem of Karl Popper Imre Lakatos - Heuristics and methodological tolerance Isaac Newton on the action at a distance in gravity: With or without God? Causal Loops in Time Travel The singularities as ontological limits of the general relativity Epistemology of Experimental Gravity - Scientific Rationality Philosophy of Blockchain Technology - Ontologies Big Data Ethics in Research Emotions and Emotional Intelligence in Organizations COVID-19 Pandemic - Philosophical Approaches Evolution and Ethics of Eugenics Epistemology of Intelligence Agencies Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky - Psychological and philosophical aspects Causal theories of reference for proper names CONTENTS: The distinction between falsification and refutation in the demarcation problem of Karl Popper - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1 The demarcation problem - - - 2 Pseudoscience - - - 3 Falsifiability - - - 4 Falsification and refutation - - - 5 Extension of falsifiability - - - 6 Criticism of falsifiability - - - 7 Support of falsifiability - - - 8 The current trend - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Imre Lakatos - Heuristics and methodological tolerance - - - Rational reconstruction of science through research programmes - - - Dogmatic Falsificationism - - - Justificationism - - - Bibliography Isaac Newton vs. Robert Hooke on the law of universal gravitation - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - Robert Hooke's contribution to the law of universal gravitation - - - Isaac Newton's contribution to the law of universal gravitation - - - Robert Hooke's claim of his priority on the law of universal gravitation - - - Newton's defense - - - The controversy in the opinion of other contemporary scientists - - - What the supporters of Isaac Newton say - - - What the supporters of Robert Hooke say - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Isaac Newton on the action at a distance in gravity: With or without God? - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - Principia - - - Correspondence with Richard Bentley - - - Queries in Opticks - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography Causal Loops in Time Travel - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - History of the concept of time travel - - - Grandfather paradox - - - The philosophy of time travel - - - Causal loops - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes The singularities as ontological limits of the general relativity - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - - - - Classical Theory and Special Relativity - - - - - - General Relativity (GR) - - - 1 Ontology of General Relativity - - - 2 Singularities - - - - - - Black Holes - - - - - - - - - Event Horizon - - - - - - Big Bang - - - - - - Are there Singularities? - - - 3 Ontology of Singularities - - - - - - Ontology of black holes - - - - - - The hole argument - - - - - - There are no singularities - - - Conclusions - - - Notes - - - Bibliography Epistemology of Experimental Gravity - Scientific Rationality - - - Introduction - - - - - - Gravity - - - - - - Gravitational tests - - - - - - Methodology of Lakatos - Scientific rationality - - - - - - The natural extension of the Lakatos methodology - - - - - - - - - Bifurcated programs - - - - - - - - - Unifying programs - - - 1. Newtonian gravity - - - - - - 1.1 Heuristics of Newtonian gravity - - - - - - 1.2 Proliferation of post-Newtonian theories - - - - - - 1.3 Tests of post-Newtonian theories - - - - - - - - - 1.3.1 Newton's proposed tests - - - - - - - - - 1.3.2 Tests of post-Newtonian theories - - - - - - 1.4 Newtonian gravity anomalies - - - - - - 1.5 Saturation point in Newtonian gravity - - - 2. General relativity - - - - - - 2.1 Heuristics of the general relativity - - - - - - 2.2 Proliferation of post-Einsteinian gravitational theories - - - - - - 2.3 Post-Newtonian parameterized formalism (PPN) - - - - - - 2.4 Tests of general relativity and post-Einsteinian theories - - - - - - - - - 2.4.1 Tests proposed by Einstein - - - - - - - - - 2.4.2 Tests of post-Einsteinian theories - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3 Classic tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3.1 Precision of Mercury's perihelion - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3.2 Light deflection - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3.3 Gravitational redshift - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4 Modern tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.1 Shapiro Delay - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.2 Gravitational dilation of time - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.3 Frame dragging and geodetic effect - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.4 Testing of the principle of equivalence - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.5 Solar system tests - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5 Strong field gravitational tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.1 Gravitational lenses - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.2 Gravitational waves - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.3 Synchronization binary pulsars - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.4 Extreme environments - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6 Cosmological tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6.1 The expanding universe - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6.2 Cosmological observations - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6.3 Monitoring of weak gravitational lenses - - - - - - 2.5 Anomalies of general relativity - - - - - - 2.6 The saturation point of general relativity - - - 3. Quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.1 Heuristics of quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.2 The tests of quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.3 Canonical quantum gravity - - - - - - - - - 3.3.1 Tests proposed for the CQG - - - - - - - - - 3.3.2. Loop quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.4 String theory - - - - - - - - - 3.4.1 Heuristics of string theory - - - - - - - - - 3.4.2. Anomalies of string theory - - - - - - 3.5 Other theories of quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.6 Unification (The Final Theory) - - - 4. Cosmology - - - Conclusions - - - Notes - - - Bibliography Philosophy of Blockchain Technology - Ontologies - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - Blockchain Technology - - - - - - Design - - - - - - Models - - - Bitcoin - - - Philosophy - - - Ontologies - - - - - - Narrative ontologies - - - - - - Enterprise ontologies - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Big Data Ethics in Research - - - Abstract - - - 1. Introduction - - - - - - 1.1 Definitions - - - - - - 1.2 Big Data dimensions - - - 2. Technology - - - - - - 2.1 Applications - - - - - - - - - 2.1.1 In research - - - 3. Philosophical aspects - - - 4. Legal aspects - - - - - - 4.1 GDPR - - - - - - - - - Stages of processing of personal data - - - - - - - - - Principles of data processing - - - - - - - - - Privacy policy and transparency - - - - - - - - - Purposes of data processing - - - - - - - - - Design and implicit confidentiality - - - - - - - - - The (legal) paradox of Big Data - - - 5. Ethical issues - - - - - - Ethics in research - - - - - - Awareness - - - - - - Consent - - - - - - Control - - - - - - Transparency - - - - - - Trust - - - - - - Ownership - - - - - - Surveillance and security - - - - - - Digital identity - - - - - - Tailored reality - - - - - - De-identification - - - - - - Digital inequality - - - - - - Privacy - - - 6. Big Data research - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography Emotions and Emotional Intelligence in Organizations - - - Abstract - - - 1. Emotions - - - - - - 1.1 Models of emotion - - - - - - 1.2 Processing emotions - - - - - - 1.3 Happiness - - - - - - 1.4 The philosophy of emotions - - - - - - 1.5 The ethics of emotions - - - 2. Emotional intelligence - - - - - - 2.1 Models of emotional intelligence - - - - - - - - - 2.1.1 Model of abilities of Mayer and Salovey - - - - - - - - - 2.1.2 Goleman's mixed model - - - - - - - - - 2.1.3 The mixed model of Bar-On - - - - - - - - - 2.1.4 Petrides' model of traits - - - - - - 2.2 Emotional intelligence in research and education - - - - - - 2.3 The philosophy of emotional intelligence - - - - - - - - - 2.3.1 Emotional intelligence in Eastern philosophy - - - 3. Emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - 3.1 Emotional labor - - - - - - 3.2 The philosophy of emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - 3.3 Critique of emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - 3.4 Ethics of emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography COVID-19 Pandemic - Philosophical Approaches - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1 Viruses - - - - - - 1.1 Ontology - - - 2 Pandemics - - - - - - 2.1 Social dimensions - - - - - - 2.2 Ethics - - - 3 COVID-19 - - - - - - 3.1 Biopolitics - - - - - - 3.2 Neocommunism - - - - - - 3.3 Desocialising - - - 4 Forecasting - - - Bibliography Evolution and Ethics of Eugenics - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - New Eugenics - - - The Future of Eugenics - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography Epistemology of Intelligence Agencies - - - Abstract - - - 1 Introduction - - - - - - 1.1. History - - - 2. Intelligence activity - - - - - - 2.1. Organizations - - - - - - 2.2. Intelligence cycle - - - - - - 2.3 Intelligence gathering - - - - - - 2.4. Intelligence analysis - - - - - - 2.5. Counterintelligence - - - - - - 2.6. Epistemic communities - - - 3. Ontology - - - 4. Epistemology - - - - - - 4.1. The tacit knowledge (Polanyi) - - - 5. Methodologies - - - 6. Analogies with other disciplines - - - - - - 6.1. Science - - - - - - 6.2. Archeology - - - - - - 6.3. Business - - - - - - 6.4. Medicine - - - 7. Conclusions - - - Bibliography Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky - Psychological and philosophical aspects - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1 Cinema technique - - - 2 Psychological Aspects - - - 3 Philosophical aspects - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Causal theories of reference for proper names - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1. The causal theory of reference - - - 2. Saul Kripke - - - 3. Gareth Evans - - - 4. Michael Devitt - - - 5. Blockchain and the causal tree of reference - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliografie About the author - - - Nicolae Sfetcu - - - - - - Contact Publishing House - - - MultiMedia Publishing

Author : Jincai Li
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 184 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2022-09-30
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781000648621

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The Referential Mechanism of Proper Names by Jincai Li Pdf

Each of us bears a unique name given to us at birth. When people use your name, they typically refer to you. But what is the linkage that ties a name to a person and hence allows it to refer? Li’s book approaches this question of reference empirically through the medium of referential intuitions. Building on the literature on philosophical and linguistic intuitions, she proposes a linguistic-competence-based account of referential intuitions. Subsequently, using a series of novel experiments, she investigates the variation of referential intuitions across different cultures, as well as the developmental trajectory and the underlying causes of the observed cultural differences. What she finds is that the cultural patterns of referential intuitions are already in place around age seven, and the differences are largely attributable to the distinct perspective-taking strategies favoured by easterners and westerners, rather than the moral valence of actions involved in the experimental materials. These results are taken to better support referential pluralism (in particular, the ambiguous view) than referential monism. By undertaking this fascinating research, Li’s book provides new insights into the cognitive mechanism underlying people’s referential usage of names. It will be valuable to students and scholars of linguistics, philosophy of language and experimental philosophy, and in particular, to those who research into semantic intuitions and theories of reference.

Author : Willy Van Langendonck
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 394 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2007-01-01
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9783110197853

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Theory and Typology of Proper Names by Willy Van Langendonck Pdf

This book proposes a new synthesis of the functions of proper names, from a semantic, pragmatic and syntactic perspective. Proper names are approached constructionally, distinguishing prototypical uses from more marked ones such as those in which names are used as common nouns. Since what is traditionally regarded as 'the' class of names turns out to be only one possible function of name-forms (though a prototypical one), the notion of 'proprial lemma' is introduced as the concept behind both proprial and appellative uses of such categories as place names and personal names. New formal arguments are adduced to distinguish proper name function from common noun or pronoun function. The special status of proper names is captured in a unified pragmatic-semantic-syntactic theory: a proper name denotes a unique entity at the level of langue to make it psychosocially salient within a given basic level category. The meaning of the name, if any, does not determine its denotation. An important formal reflection of this characterization of names is their ability to appear in such close appositional constructions as the poet Burns or Fido the dog. The neurolinguistic finding that proper names constitute a separate category is introduced and interpreted within a general linguistic frame of reference. The different kinds of meanings associated with names (categorical, associative, emotive, and grammatical) are shown to be presuppositional in nature. In addition, the book proposes an entirely new classification of proper names as forming a continuum ranging from prototypical (personal and place names) to nonprototypical categories (brand and language names) to citations and autonyms, and a new diachronic classification of family names and nicknames. This book fills an important gap in the current literature, because the most recent linguistic book in English on name theory dates back to 1973. It is explicitly interdisciplinary, taking into account linguistic, philosophical, neurolinguistic, sociolinguistic and dialect geographical aspects of proper names.

Author : Saul A. Kripke
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 185 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2013-06-06
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780199928385

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Reference and Existence by Saul A. Kripke Pdf

This volume collects Saul Kripke's Locke Lectures, which were delivered in Oxford in 1973.

Author : Charles Kay Ogden,Ivor Armstrong Richards
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 363 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 1959
Category : Language and languages
ISBN : LCCN:58004998

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The Meaning of Meaning by Charles Kay Ogden,Ivor Armstrong Richards Pdf

Author : Richard Routley
Publisher : Springer
Page : 620 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2019-02-15
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783319787930

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Exploring Meinong’s Jungle and Beyond by Richard Routley Pdf

In this first volume of The Sylvan Jungle, the editors present a scholarly edition of the first chapter, "Exploring Meinong's Jungle," of Richard Routley's 1000-plus page book, Exploring Meinong's Jungle and Beyond. Going against the Quinean orthodoxy, Routley’s aim was to support Meinong’s idea that we can truthfully refer to non-existent and even impossible objects, like Superman, unicorns and the (infamous) round-square cupola on Berkeley College. The tools of non-classical logic at Routley’s disposal enabled him to update Meinong’s project for a new generation. This volume begins with an Introduction from Dominic Hyde, “The ‘Jungle Book’ in Context,” an essay that situates Exploring Meinong’s Jungle and Beyond historically. We provide the original Preface by Routley, followed by Chapter 1: “Exploring Meinong’s Jungle and Beyond.” In Chapter 2, Nicholas Griffin argues that Sylvan’s project was insufficiently radical with his essay, “Why the Original Theory of Items Didn’t (Quite) Go Far Enough.” Sylvan revisits his position from this time in Chapter 3, with his article, “Re-Exploring Item-Theory.” Filippo Casati, who has worked in the Routley Archives then takes up the question of the future of Sylvan’s research program in his essay, “The Future Perfect of Exploring Meinong’s Jungle.” Iconic and iconoclastic Australian philosopher Richard Routley (né Sylvan) published Exploring Meinong’s Jungle and Beyond in 1980. This work has fallen out of print, yet without great fanfare it has influenced two generations of philosophers and logicians.

Author : Richard A. Fumerton
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 174 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Education
ISBN : 0742512835

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Realism and the Correspondence Theory of Truth by Richard A. Fumerton Pdf

Defending a realism about truth, Fumerton (philosophy, U. of Iowa) argues that the most plausible version of realism is the correspondence theory of truth, and that only by including in one's ontology the critical relation of correspondence between truth bearers and truth makers can one avoid an implausible metaphysics of possibilia in a realist analysis of falsehood. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Author : Nicolae Sfetcu
Publisher : MultiMedia Publishing
Page : 35 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2024-06-26
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9786060332213

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Philosophy of Blockchain Technology - Ontologies by Nicolae Sfetcu Pdf

About the necessity and usefulness of developing a philosophy specific to the blockchain technology, emphasizing on the ontological aspects. After an Introduction that highlights the main philosophical directions for this emerging technology, in Blockchain Technology I explain the way the blockchain works, discussing ontological development directions of this technology in Designing and Modeling. The next section is dedicated to the main application of blockchain technology, Bitcoin, with the social implications of this cryptocurrency. There follows a section of Philosophy in which I identify the blockchain technology with the concept of heterotopia developed by Michel Foucault and I interpret it in the light of the notational technology developed by Nelson Goodman as a notational system. In the Ontology section, I present two developmental paths that I consider important: Narrative Ontology, based on the idea of order and structure of history transmitted through Paul Ricoeur's narrative history, and the Enterprise Ontology system based on concepts and models of an enterprise, specific to the semantic web, and which I consider to be the most well developed and which will probably become the formal ontological system, at least in terms of the economic and legal aspects of blockchain technology. In Conclusions I am talking about the future directions of developing the blockchain technology philosophy in general as an explanatory and robust theory from a phenomenologically consistent point of view, which allows testability and ontologies in particular, arguing for the need of a global adoption of an ontological system for develop cross-cutting solutions and to make this technology profitable. CONTENTS: Abstract Introducere Tehnologia blockchain - Proiectare - Modele Bitcoin Filosofia Ontologii - Ontologii narative - Ontologii de intreprindere Concluzii Note Bibliografie DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.24510.33602

Author : Andrea Bianchi
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 466 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2020-10-19
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9783030476410

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Language and Reality from a Naturalistic Perspective by Andrea Bianchi Pdf

This book celebrates the many important contributions to philosophy by one of the leading philosophers in the analytic field, Michael Devitt. It collects seventeen original essays by renowned philosophers from all over the world. They all develop themes from Devitt’s work, thus discussing many fundamental issues in philosophy of linguistics, theory of reference, theory of meaning, methodology, and metaphysics. In a long final chapter, Devitt himself replies to the contributors. In so doing, he further elaborates his views on various of these issues, for example defending his claim (in opposition to Chomskyan orthodoxy) that languages are external rather than internal; his well-known causal theory of reference; his “shocking” idea that meanings can be causal, non-descriptive, modes of presentation; his methodological naturalism; his commitment to scientific realism; and his version of biological essentialism. The volume will appeal to all scholars and students interested in contemporary theoretical analytic philosophy, and will be a must-read for any serious researcher in philosophy of language. It provides a deep insight into the work of one of the most important living philosophers, and will help readers to better understand language and reality from a naturalistic perspective.

Author : Dale Jacquette
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 832 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2008-04-15
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781405149945

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A Companion to Philosophical Logic by Dale Jacquette Pdf

This collection of newly comissioned essays by international contributors offers a representative overview of the most important developments in contemporary philosophical logic. Presents controversies in philosophical implications and applications of formal symbolic logic. Surveys major trends and offers original insights.

Author : Harry Halpin
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 234 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2012-08-01
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9781461418856

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Social Semantics by Harry Halpin Pdf

Social Semantics: The Search for Meaning on the Web provides a unique introduction to identity and reference theories of the World Wide Web, through the academic lens of philosophy of language and data-driven statistical models. The Semantic Web is a natural evolution of the Web, and this book covers the URL-based Web architecture and Semantic Web in detail. It has a robust empirical side which has an impact on industry. Social Semantics: The Search for Meaning on the Web discusses how the largest problem facing the Semantic Web is the problem of identity and reference, and how these are the results of a larger general theory of meaning. This book hypothesizes that statistical semantics can solve these problems, illustrated by case studies ranging from a pioneering study of tagging systems to using the Semantic Web to boost the results of commercial search engines. Social Semantics: The Search for Meaning on the Web targets practitioners working in the related fields of the semantic web, search engines, information retrieval, philosophers of language and more. Advanced-level students and researchers focusing on computer science will also find this book valuable as a secondary text or reference book.