According to many commentators, Davidson’s earlier work on philosophy of action and truth-theoretic semantics is the basis for his reputation, and his later forays, first into the theory of interpretation, and ultimately into what became known as the triangulation argument, are much less successful. This book by two of his former students aims to change that perception.
In Part One, Verheggen begins by providing an explanation and defense of the triangulation argument, then explores its implications for questions about the social character of language and thought, semantic normativity and naturalism, and skepticism about the external world. In Part Two, Myers considers what the argument has to say about values and reasons, and whether it can quiet skeptical worries based on claims about the nature of motivation, the extent of disagreement, and the authority of morality. The book reveals Davidson’s later writings to be full of innovative and important ideas that deserve much more attention than they are currently receiving.
