Essential indexicality
The idea which provoked this essay is that sometimes an indexical term is essential to the expression of a truth. I explore some consequences of this idea, whether or not it is true, and investigate why anyone should believe that it is. As to the consequences of the idea, I strongly hold that they are much more dramatic than is usually supposed, and that casual acceptance or rejection of it is therefore impermissible Since that nonchalance is general, this is one of the main contentions of the thesis. In general I argue from the supposition that the nature of temporality and selfhood necessitates indexical forms of expression, and therefore oppose the 'absolute conception' of the world as a body of impersonal and eternal truth. In the course of this polemic I discover an argument against current modal semantics. However, the subjectivist position which I adopt is found to involve a host of unpopular metaphysical consequences, and doubt is cast on its own expressibi1ity. The reader may well come to feel that the absolute conception does not suffer by comparison. Finally, I put the concept of essential, indexicality to use as an exegetical instrument, and argue that it brings out a central feature of many irrationalist
Thomson, Euan N. S.
Philosophy and semantics
Essential indexicality. The idea which provoked this essay is that sometimes an indexical term is essential to the expression of a truth. I explore some consequences of this idea, whether or not it is true, and investigate why anyone should believe that it is. As to the consequences of the idea, I strongly hold that they are much more dramatic than is usually supposed, and that casual acceptance or rejection of it is therefore impermissible Since that nonchalance is general, this is one of the main contentions of the thesis. In general I argue from the supposition that the nature of temporality and selfhood necessitates indexical forms of expression, and therefore oppose the 'absolute conception' of the world as a body of impersonal and eternal truth. In the course of this polemic I discover an argument against current modal semantics. However, the subjectivist position which I adopt is found to involve a host of unpopular metaphysical consequences, and doubt is cast on its own expressibi1ity. The reader may well come to feel that the absolute conception does not suffer by comparison. Finally, I put the concept of essential, indexicality to use as an exegetical instrument, and argue that it brings out a central feature of many irrationalist
essential indexicality idea provoke essay sometimes indexical term essential expression truth explore_consequence idea whether true investigate anyone believe consequence idea strongly hold much dramatic usually suppose casual acceptance rejection therefore since general one_main contention thesis general argue supposition nature temporality selfhood necessitates indexical form expression therefore oppose absolute conception world body impersonal eternal truth course polemic discover argument current modal semantics however subjectivist position adopt find involve host unpopular metaphysical consequence doubt cast reader may well come feel absolute conception suffer comparison finally put concept essential indexicality use exegetical instrument argue brings central feature many