Kepa Korta

A collaboration between three distinguished professors of linguistics and philosophy. The result of the collaboration between three distinguished philosophers, this book comprises the best sample of one of the most original theories in contemporary philosophy of language and communication—Critical Pragmatics. They present the development of the theory from its initial sprout, with “Three Demonstrations and a Funeral” (2006) as its first visible result, to a critical clarification of its tenets in “Critical Pragmatics: Nine Misconceptions” (2023). After Korta and Perry’s Critical Pragmatics (2011), this is the most important book on Critical Pragmatics, as it was conceived, developed and applied by its creators. Having de Ponte, Korta and Perry’s most important papers together on one place will be of great value to both philosophers and linguists.

Critical Pragmatics develops three ideas: language is a way of doing things with words; meanings of phrases and contents of utterances derive ultimately from human intentions; and language combines with other factors to allow humans to achieve communicative goals. In this book, Kepa Korta and John Perry explain why critical pragmatics provides a coherent picture of how parts of language study fit together within the broader picture of human thought and action. They focus on issues about singular reference, that is, talk about particular things, places or people, which have played a central role in the philosophy of language for more than a century. They argue that attention to the 'reflexive' or 'utterance-bound' contents of utterances sheds new light on these old problems. Their important study proposes a new approach to pragmatics and should be of wide interest to philosophers of language and linguists.

Critical Pragmatics develops three ideas: language is a way of doing things with words; meanings of phrases and contents of utterances derive ultimately from human intentions; and language combines with other factors to allow humans to achieve communicative goals. In this book, Kepa Korta and John Perry explain why critical pragmatics provides a coherent picture of how parts of language study fit together within the broader picture of human thought and action. They focus on issues about singular reference, that is, talk about particular things, places or people, which have played a central role in the philosophy of language for more than a century. They argue that attention to the 'reflexive' or 'utterance-bound' contents of utterances sheds new light on these old problems. Their important study proposes a new approach to pragmatics and should be of wide interest to philosophers of language and linguists.