Language and Thinking: Philosophical Introduction

Here is a basic orientation to the world of ideas for one-semester courses in introduction to philosophy and introduction to logic. In lively and clear terms, Professor Alexander discusses how to use language for abstract thinking. The material is divided into three main parts. The first part, Symbols, discusses the nature of and problems encountered in dealing with communication, analysis of language (especially English), varieties and use of symbols, and meaning. Processes of Thinking analyzes three basic thought processes: abstracting, imagining (using abstractions imaginatively), and generalizing. Special attention is placed on parts, qualities, relations, and functions, as varieties of abstraction. The final part, The Limits, consequences, and Organization of Ideas, is concerned with the nature of defining, inferring, and constructing philosophical systems, and the place of these activities in the total process of rational inquiry.