Gilbert Harman presents a selection of fifteen interconnected essays on fundamental issues at the centre of analytic philosophy. The book opens with a group of four essays discussing basic principles of reasoning and rationality. The next three essays argue against the idea that certain claims
are true by virtue of meaning and knowable by virtue of meaning. In the third group of essays Harman sets out his own view of meaning, arguing that it depends upon the functioning of concepts in reasoning, perception, and action, by which these concepts are related to the world. He also examines
the relation between language and thought. The final three essays investigate the nature of mind, developing further the themes already set out. Reasoning, Meaning, and Mind offers an integrated presentation of this rich and influential body of work.
Introduction
Part I. Reasoning
1. Rationality
2. Practical Reasoning
3. Simplicity as a Pragmatic Criterion for Deciding What Hypotheses to Take Seriously
4. Pragmatism and Reasons for Belief
Part II. Analyticity
5. The Death of Meaning
6. Doubts
about Conceptual Analysis
7. Analyticity Regained?
Part III. Meaning
8. Three Levels of Meaning
9. Language, Thought, and Communication
10. Language Learning
11. Meaning and Semantics
12. (Nonsolipsistic) Conceptual Role Semantics
Part IV. Mind
13.
Wide Functionalism
14. The Intrinsic Quality of Experience
15. Immanent versus Transcendent Theories of Meaning and Mind
Bibliography
Index
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Gilbert Harman is Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University.
