Abstract

Two essays make up this dissertation. The first is about the phenomenon of quotation in natural languages. In it I defend what I call the "Identity Theory," which is the view that the same expression is both used and mentioned in quotation. The essay also contains arguments against theories which maintain that quotations function like names, demonstratives and descriptions. The second essay is about the explanation of mental content. Its main thesis is that semantic and perceptual content are governed by the principle of "partialism." This principle holds that the concept of truth and the concept of reference are both basic to the determination of content. After giving arguments in support of partialism, I argue that the approach to semantic explanation which has come to be called "information theoretic semantics" is incorrect