Linguistics and the parts of the mind : or how to build a machine worth talking to

Product Description

The study of language has always been closely allied to the study of philosophy. This book starts from a criticism of the neglect by linguists of the study of macrolinguisticsthe nature and rules of sequence in dialogue of the larger linguistic units, such as statements, questions, retractions, various kinds of imperative, and expressions of attitudes and of emotionand develops consequences of interest both to philosophers and to linguists. Its central thesis concerns the influence of macrolinguistic grammatical categories on theories of the mind. This book will be of interest to philosophers generally and philosophers of language and philosophers of mind in particular, as well as to linguists, especially those working in pragmatics and speech act theory. It will also appeal to computer and cognitive scientists, particularly those with an interest in natural language processing. It makes important contributions to both philosophy of language and philosophy of mind, abounding with new arguments and perspectives 45 years on from its conception.

About the Author

Charles Hamblin (1922-1985) was a polymath philosopher, logician and computer pioneer. His studies at the University of Melbourne, begun in 1941, were interrupted by war service as an RAAF radar officer, from 1942 to 45. He enrolled part-time in his PhD in Language and the Theory of Information at London University while working as Research Officer (radar and computing) for General Electric Company, London, from 1950 to 55. In 1955, he was appointed Lecturer in Philosophy at what became the University of New South Wales, Australia, becoming Professor and Head of the School of Philosophy there in 1966, a position he held until his death. He wrote four published books, Elementary Formal Logic, a Programmed Course (1966), Fallacies (1970), Languages of Asia and the Pacific: A Phrasebook for Travellers and Students (1984), and Imperatives (1987), and published over 30 papers on computer architecture, logic and philosophy. He also held three patents.