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The Philosophy of Michael Dummett Synthese Library THE PHILOSOPHY OF MICHAEL DUMMETT SYNTHESE LIBRARY STUDIES IN EPISTEMOLOGY, LOGIC, METHODOLOGY, AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE Managing Editor: JAAKKO HINTIKKA, Boston University Editors: DIRK V AN DALEN, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands DONALD DAVIDSON, University of California, Berkeley THEO A.F. KUIPERS, University of Groningen, The Netherlands PATRICK SUPPES, Stanford University, California JAN WOLENSKI, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland VOLUME 239 THE PHILOSOPHY OF MICHAEL DUMMETT Edited by BRIAN McGUINNESS Department of Philosophy and Social Science, University of Siena, Italy and GIANLUIGI OLIVERI Department of Philosophy, University of Leeds, u.K, SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Phi losophy of Michael Dummett / edited by BrIan McGuinness. Gianluigi 01 iveri. p. cm. -- (Synthese lIbrary; v. 239) Papers presented at the First International Phi losophy Conference of Mussomel i. Sici ly. Sept. 1991. Includes biblIographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-481-4389-4 ISBN 978-94-015-8336-7 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-8336-7 1. Dummett. Michael A. E.--Congresses. 2. Language and languages­ -Phi losophy--Congresses. 3. Mathematlcs--Phi losophy--Congresses. 1. McGuInness. Brian. II. 01 iveri. Glanlulgl. III. InternatIonal Philosophy Conference of Mussomeli (1st 1991) IV. Series. B1626.D854P48 1994 192--dc20 94-9709 CIP ISBN 978-90-481-4389-4 Printed on acid-free paper All Rights Reserved © 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1994 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1994 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner. CONTENTS Acknowledgements viii Preface ix Abbreviations xi Part 1. Philosophy of Language The Social Aspect of Language Donald Davidson 1 Singular Terms Bob Hale 17 Philosophical Theorizing and Particularism: Michael Dummett on Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy of Language David Pears 45 Convention and Assertion Eva Picardi 59 Meaning Theory and Anti-realism Dag Prawitz 79 Part 2. Philosophy of Mathematics Anti-realism and the Philosophy of Mathematics Gianluigi Oliveri 93 Dummett and Wittgenstein' s Philosophy of Mathematics Carlo Penco 113 Vestiges of Realism Goran Sundholm 137 About "The Philosophical Significance of Godel's Theorem": some issues Crispin Wright 167 vi CONTENTS Part 3. Philosophy of Mind, Time and Religion Dummett, Realism and Other Minds Akeel Bilgrami 205 Truth, Time and Deity Brian McGuinness 229 Leaving the Past Where it Belongs Joachim Schulte 241 Part 4. Dummett's Replies Reply to Davidson 257 Reply to Hale 268 Reply to Pears 273 Reply to Picardi 282 Reply to Prawitz 292 Reply to Oliveri 299 Reply to Penco 308 Reply to Sundholm 318 Reply to Wright 329 Reply to Bilgrami 339 Reply to McGuinness 350 Reply to Schulte 362 Bibliography 371 Index 379 MICHAEL DUMMETT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We wish to thank Mr. Roberto Prisco, who first had the idea of organ­ ising an international philosophy conference in the castle of Mussomeli. His great enthusiasm and determination very much helped the success­ ful planning and organisation of that event. Our thanks go also to Mr. Michael Greenwood, for having kindly proof-read part of the text, to the Philosophy Department of Leeds University, for having provided one of the editors with moral and financial support during the production of the book, to Mevr. J. C. Kuipers, of Kluwer Academic Publishers, for having believed in and followed this project of publication to its comple­ tion, to Mr. Roger White, of Leeds University Philosophy Department, for having given much good advice to one of the editors concerning prob­ lems connected with the production of the present book, and, finally, to Mr. Robin Haig, of Leeds University Computing Service, for his great skill in helping computer-inexperts on the verge of despair. viii PREFACE The present collection of papers derives from a philosophy conference organised in the Sicilian town of M ussomeli in September 1991. The con­ ference aimed at providing an analysis of certain aspects of the thought of Michael Dummett, whose contributions have been very influential in several aspects of the philosophical debate continuing within the analyt­ ical tradition. Logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the interpretation of Frege's philosophy, and metaphysics are only some of the areas within which Dummett's ideas have been fruitful over the years. The papers contained in this book, and Dummett's replies, will, it is hoped, not merely offer a partial reconstruction of a philosopher's life­ work, but provide an exciting and challenging vantage point from which to look at some of the main problems of contemporary philosophy. The First International Philosophy Conference of M ussomeli - this is what the conference was called - was an extraordinary event in many ways. The quality of the papers presented, the international reputa­ tion of many of the participants, the venue itself, together with the unavoidable, and sometimes quite funny, organisational hiccups, made that meeting memorable. Perhaps principally memorable was the warmth and sympathy of the people of Mussomeli who strongly supported and encouraged this initia­ tive. A special mention is also due to the City Council Administrators, who spared no effort to make the Conference a success. IX ABBREVIATIONS AC Axiom of Choice CH Continuum Hypothesis ZF Zermelo-Fraenkel PM Principia M athematica PA Peano Arithmetic HAA Hypothesis of the Acute Angle HRA Hypothesis of the Right Angle HOA Hypothesis of the Obtuse Angle EG Euclidean Geometry EL Elliptic Geometry H Hyperbolic Geometry LBM Logical Basis of Metaphysics. See [55]. FBI Full Blown Internalism WWK L. Wittgenstein und der Wiener Kreis. See [106]. PR Philosophical Remarks. See [167]. PG Philosophical Grammar. See [164]. BB The Blue and Brown Books. See [169]. LFM Lectures on the Foundations of Mathematics. See [170]. PI Philosophical Investigations. See [172]. RFM Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics. See [171]. E. of I. Elements of Intuitionism. See [47]. Publications referred to are indicated by arabic numerals between square brackets and details are given on pp. 371-377. Xl .
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