Saul Kripke
Full Name and Common Aliases
Saul Aaron Kripke is a renowned American philosopher known for his groundbreaking work in logic, philosophy of language, and metaphysics.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on November 13, 1940, in New York City, USA. As of now, Saul Kripke is still alive.
Nationality and Profession(s)
American philosopher
Early Life and Background
Saul Kripke was born to an Orthodox Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Raphael Kripke, was a rabbi, and his mother, Dorothy Kripke, was a homemaker. Growing up in a culturally rich environment, Saul developed a strong interest in philosophy from an early age. He attended the prestigious Yeshiva of Flatbush high school, where he excelled academically.
Major Accomplishments
Kripke's most significant contributions to philosophy include:
Semantic theory: His work on possible worlds semantics revolutionized the field of modal logic and had a profound impact on philosophical debates about modality.
Reference and naming: Kripke's theory of direct reference challenged traditional notions of meaning and reference in language, influencing subsequent work in linguistics and philosophy of language.
Realism vs. anti-realism: Kripke's views on realism and anti-realism continue to shape discussions in metaphysics and epistemology.Notable Works or Actions
Some notable works by Saul Kripke include:
_Naming and Necessity_ (1980) - a seminal work that laid out his theories on reference, naming, and modality.
_Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language_ (1982) - an influential critique of Wittgenstein's philosophy of language.Impact and Legacy
Kripke's ideas have had far-reaching implications for various fields, including:
Philosophy: His work has influenced debates about modal logic, reference, and the nature of reality.
Linguistics: Kripke's theories on naming and reference have shaped our understanding of how language works.
Cognitive science: His views on mental representation and meaning continue to inform research in this field.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Saul Kripke is widely quoted and remembered for his profound impact on philosophy, linguistics, and cognitive science. His innovative ideas have shaped the course of intellectual inquiry, inspiring generations of scholars and thinkers.
Quotes by Saul Kripke
I just hate sitting and writing – I had to do that in school. Plus, I have terrible handwriting.
Certainly the philosopher of ‘possible worlds’ must take care that his technical apparatus not push him to ask questions whose meaningfulness is not supported by our original intuitions of possibility that gave the apparatus its point.
Any necessary truth, whether a priori or a posteriori, could not have turned out otherwise.
Any necessary truth, whether a priori or a posteriori, could not have turned out otherwise
Logical investigations can obviously be a useful tool for philosophy. They must, however, be informed by a sensitivity to the philosophical significance of the formalism and by a generous admixture of common sense, as well as a thorough understanding both of the basic concepts and of the technical details of the formal material used. It should not be supposed that the formalism can grind out philosophical results in a manner beyond the capacity of ordinary philosophical reasoning. There is no mathematical substitute for philosophy.
Let's call something a rigid designator if in every possible world it designates the same object, a non-rigid or accidental designator if that is not the case. Of course we don't require that the objects exist in all possible worlds.... When we think of a property as essential to an object we usually mean that it is true of that object in any case where it would have existed. A rigid designator of a necessary existent can be called strongly rigid.
Certainly the philosopher of 'possible worlds' must take care that his technical apparatus not push him to ask questions whose meaningfulness is not supported by our original intuitions of possibility that gave the apparatus its point.
