Customer Reviews

Philosophical Logic: An Introduction

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I've read a few primers in the field of the philosophy of logic and language, and haven't found one better than this. Of the two, the emphasis of Wolfram's book is on the latter. She explains the difference between types and tokens, sense and reference, and extension and intension very clearly. She explains Quine's paradox of descriptions and modality with equal facility (and anyone who's read Quine will appreciate the novelty of being able to understand the subject on first reading.) And there's a lot more. The book is geared towards the undergraduate student with no background in the philosophy of language, but (in my not-entirely-qualified opinion) it has enough depth for the graduate level. It's a wonderful introduction to a very esoteric topic.

One warning is in order - Wolfram writes in the Anglo-American philosophical tradition. In other words, you won't find anything about semiotics, poststructuralist linguistics or the Continental philosophy of language. This isn't a failing, since the two traditions have split to the point where they've stopped communicating, but it is a caveat for those who are expecting the book to be something it's not.