Key thinkers in linguistics and the philosophy of language - Siobhan Chapman

A guide to the important figures in Western linguistic tradition This is a unique and accessible reference guide to the work of figures who have played an important role in the development of ideas about language. It includes eighty entries on individual thinkers in the Western tradition, ranging from antiquity to the present day, chosen because of their impact on the description or theory of language. Each entry explains the main ideas of the thinker, outlining their development and assessing their significance and influence. Brief biographical details place the subject in his or her cultural and historical context. No prior knowledge of either linguistics or philosophy is assumed; each entry concludes with suggestions for further reading of both primary texts and secondary sources, encouraging readers to find out more about the particular key thinker and the impact of his or her ideas. Some thinkers included are: Plato Aristotle Berkeley Leibniz Kant Russell Wittgenstein Austin Sacks Kristeva Chomsky