Saul Kripke

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Naming and Necessity

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Saul Kripke's Gödel lecture at UCSB

Saul Aaron Kripke (November 13, 1940 – September 16, 2022) was an American philosopher and logician. He was a major figure in the fields of philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, and metaphysics. Kripke's most notable contributions include his causal theory of reference, the Kripke semantics for modal logic, and his argument against identity theory in the philosophy of mind.

Early Life and Education

Saul Kripke was born in Bay Shore, New York, to Dorothy K. Kripke and Rabbi Myer S. Kripke. His interest in philosophy and logic began at an early age. He was a prodigy, teaching himself Ancient Hebrew by the age of six and reading complex works of Jewish philosophy by the age of nine. Kripke attended Harvard University, where he completed his undergraduate thesis on modal logic, a subject that would become central to his later work. He graduated summa cum laude in 1962.

Career

Kripke's early career was marked by groundbreaking contributions to logic and philosophy. In 1963, he published a series of lectures, later known as "Naming and Necessity," which challenged prevailing theories of reference and meaning in the philosophy of language. His work introduced the notion of rigid designators and argued for a causal theory of reference, significantly influencing subsequent philosophical thought.

Kripke also made significant contributions to modal logic, most notably through the introduction of Kripke semantics. This framework for understanding modal logic—which deals with necessity and possibility—revolutionized the field, providing a new way to interpret modal statements.

In addition to his work in philosophy of language and logic, Kripke made contributions to the philosophy of mathematics, particularly with his book "Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language." In it, he argues against Ludwig Wittgenstein's private language argument, proposing that the meaning of words is not determined by individual mental states but by external social and linguistic practices.

Major Works

• Naming and Necessity (1980) - A collection of three lectures that introduced the causal theory of reference and discussed issues related to identity, necessity, and contingency.
• Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language (1982) - An influential critique of Wittgenstein's argument against the possibility of a private language, proposing an alternative interpretation of rule-following.
• Philosophical Troubles (2011) - A collection of Kripke's published papers, covering a wide range of topics in logic, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language.

Legacy

Saul Kripke's work has had a profound impact on various areas of philosophy, particularly in the philosophy of language and logic. His introduction of Kripke semantics and the causal theory of reference have become foundational in contemporary philosophical thought. Kripke's influence extends beyond philosophy to cognitive science, linguistics, and computer science, where his ideas on naming and necessity continue to inform theoretical discussions.

Death

Saul Kripke passed away on September 16, 2022. His death marked the loss of one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. His contributions to philosophy and logic continue to be studied and celebrated for their depth, originality, and impact on the field.