| Research Abstract
My area of focus is the philosophy of language. I am concerned with very broad questions, such as: What is the nature of linguistic meaning? How does it determine reference? How does it to relate to truth? In particular, I would like to contribute toward a semantic theory that is both robust and compatible with naturalism (I am less confident everyday). So far, most of my studies have concerned rule-following (particularly, the Kripke-Wittgenstein paradox) and analyticity (particularly Quine’s “Two Dogmas of Empiricism”). Recently, I have become interested in the presumable connection between semantics, mental content, and knowledge. And, what’s more, I am continually gripped by issues surrounding philosophical skepticism, as well as certain issues in the philosophy of religion.
Other Interests / Quotes / Links / Photos
- "If I have exhausted the justification, I have reached bedrock and my spade is turned. Then I am inclined to say, 'This is simply what I do'." (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
- "I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul." (Calvin, of Calvin and Hobbes)
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