Abstract

The term 'indexical' comes into the philosophy of language from Charles Sanders Peirce's use of the term 'index'. Paradigm indexicals include pronouns such as 'I' and 'you', as well as words like 'here', 'now', 'today', 'tomorrow', and 'yesterday' that occur as both nouns and adverbs. This chapter looks at how such paradigms work, then look at less paradigmatic examples, and eventually try to arrive at plausible definitions of indexical and indexicality. Eliminative theories treat indexicals as short‐cuts for descriptions that the speaker has in mind. Indexicals play no essential role in language and communication and can be eliminated for serious purposes. The chapter reviews McTaggart's use of indexicals in his famous argument about time. In fact indexicals, for all their conversational utility and humble origins, seem indispensable in talking about philosophical topics. Simple and untechnical ‘I’ and ‘now’ may be, compared to words that embody great insights of science or philosophy, they still are words, that express ideas, and connect with complex thoughts words can express.