What is meaning? How is linguistic communication possible? What is the nature of language? What is the relationship between language and the world? How do metaphors work? The Philosophy of Language, Sixth Edition, is an excellent introduction to such fundamental questions.

Incorporating insights from new coeditor David Sosa, the sixth edition collects forty-eight of the most important articles in the field, making it the most up-to-date and comprehensive volume on the subject. Revised to address changing trends and contemporary developments, the sixth edition features eighteen new articles, including influential work by Kent Bach, Paul Boghossian, M. A. E. Dummett, Delia Graff Fara, Hartry Field, H. P. Grice and P.F. Strawson, Carl G. Hempel, Saul Kripke, Benson Mates, Hilary Putnam, Diana Raffman, Nathan Salmon, Stephen Schiffer, John R. Searle, Roy Sorenson, David Sosa, Dennis Stampe, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. A general introduction and introductions to each section give students background to the issues and explain the connections between them. A bibliography of suggested further reading follows each section.

Reviews

"After nurturing several generations of philosophy of language students, this is arguably still the best sourcebook in the field. It is ideal for, if not indispensable to, the first course in the discipline."--Yuri Balashov, University of Georgia

"The organization of the book is excellent, and it covers almost precisely the topics and philosophers that I cover in my course."--Kevin Klement, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

"This is the best anthology for providing an upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level introduction to the field. It contains the absolutely essential readings."--Eric Funkhouser, University of Arkansas