The Philosophy of J. L. Austin

This is the first major study of J. L. Austin's philosophy in decades. Leading philosophers show the relevance of his work to current debates including scepticism and contextualism, the epistemology of testimony, and the semantics/pragmatics distinction. They demonstrate why Austin's work is of continuing value and interest to philosophers today

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These new essays on J. L. Austin's philosophy constitute the first major study of his thought in decades. Eight leading philosophers join together to present a fresh evaluation of his distinctive work, showing how it can be brought to bear on issues at the top of today's philosophical agenda, such as scepticism and contextualism, the epistemology of testimony, the generality of the conceptual, and the viability of the semantics/pragmatics distinction. The contributors offer in-depth interpretations of Austin's views and demonstrate why his work deserves a more central place in mainstream philosophical discussion than it currently has. The volume also contains a substantial introduction that situates Austin's thought in its original intellectual milieu and provides an overview of the many different ways in which his ideas have influenced later developments, in philosophy and elsewhere.