A Research On P.F.Strawson's Identification Theory

This thesis is argued in a novel visual angle, which is said:reviewing Strawson's main thoughts of philosophy based on the theme of identification, and extracting the identification theory which is integrated in Strawson's philosophy. Such studies, on one hand, provide abundant theory supports to the studies about the theme of identification, and on the other hand, start a new approach for deepening each related coin subject in his philosophy. The arguments are based on the following reasons:By studying Strawson's works, the writer finds that his each coin subject doesn't directly discuss the identification, but is closely related with it. It must be based on the support of each core subject to supply an explanatory key for "the realization of identifying", and also must be linked with the analytical frame about "the realization of identifying" to understand each core subject and demonstrate the correlations among them. Furthermore, by studying each correlative subject, can we clarify the evolvement of his philosophy thoughts, which accords with his explanation about the entire conception and analysis methods of philosophy in Analysis and Metaphysics. Accordingly, we think identification theory is integrated in Strawson's whole philosophy. One reason is that it entails many aspects of identification, such as the relation between referring and identifying, the ontology accordance, epistemology frame, and the methodology of identifying. Another reason is that identification theory is related to his descriptive metaphysics and the methodology system of transcendental arguments, which afford theoretical basis for his later analysis methods and entire conception of philosophy, In a word, the identification theory, integrated into his logic, ontology and epistemology, forming an inner complex meticulous system with them, is an important part of his academic thoughts.The chapters are arranged as following:Chapter1is about the basis for the formation of identification theory. The debate between Strawson and Russell or Quine, in which his partial viewpoints have been included, lays a certain foundation for the formation of the concept of "identification". Firstly, it analyzes his views of identifying reference, and regarding identifying reference as the essential prescriptive of singular terms, which are formed in the process of criticizing the descriptions theory and the viewpoint that the singular terms is eliminable. Then, starting with the model of "Listener-speaker", it researches into the concept of identification in Individual, sums up the kinds of identifying, and makes an analysis about the applied Scope of each of them.Chapter2is about the ontology accordance of identifying. This chapter centers about the correlation of the foundation position in identifying with ontological priority. Section1, starting with the relation between logical subject and existence, analyzes his basic standpoint of ontology. Section2is about his criticism to Quine's program of ontological reduction, which paves the way for his theory of ontological hierarch. Section3is about his characteristic theory—the ontological hierarch. It has a further analysis about the connotation of his key proposition—"endowing basic particulars with ontological priority", and especially analyzes his train of thought, which reveals the ontological priority hidden behind the Subject-Predicate items distinction by comparing grammar-criterion with the type-criterion. Section4compares his ontology with Quine's for revealing the characteristics and significance of his ontology.Chapter3is about the epistemology frame of identifying, which is related to the conceptual schemes. Firstly, it analyzes the essence and characteristics of conceptual schemes by comparing the schemes with Kant's schemes. Then, concentrating on the question of "what's the correlation of temporal and spatial relations system with basic particulars in reflecting the conceptual schemes", it analyzes the characteristics of temporal and spatial relations system, and the significance of establishing material bodies as basic particulars for identifying. At last, from the transcendental angle of "the conditions for the possibility of experience", it analyzes the support with "different but correlative ways" given by the basic particular—"person" to other particulars. It finally reveals his motive to establish material bodies and person as basic particulars, which is to put particulars into the temporal and spatial relations system to elucidate the conceptual schemes. The whole identifying activity is around the basic task of elucidating the conceptual schemes.Chapter4is about the methodology of identifying. Through the analysis about the characteristics, validity and objective orientation of transcendental arguments used in identification theory, it researches into the value of transcendental arguments in identifying activity. By discussing Kant's strategies as reference, Section1analyzes the essential relation between Strawson's discussion about experience and the basic concepts in conceptual schemes. Then, On the basis of reviewing the form characteristics of transcendental arguments about the possibility of identifying, Section2analyzes the validity of his arguments to cope with skepticism, and links his arguments with the strategy of internal defense of proper moderate transcendental arguments. Section3is about his further studies on transcendental arguments. From the analysis of his objectivity arguments of experience in restructuring Kant's transcendental deduction, it shows that the essence of his arguments is also a continuation of Kant's ways. Section4analyzes the value objective of his transcendental arguments. Linking it with the analysis about the certainty of belief, the writer tries to quest for a theory support from the view about naturalism.Chapter5is about his new contribution to contemporary philosophy. Based on the above chapters, and his explanation of metaphysics, analysis methods and entire conception of philosophy in Analysis and Metaphysics, it generalizes the contributions in three aspects. Based on all above studies, Chapter6does some divergent thinking about his philosophy thoughts. Firstly, it discusses the limitation from such aspects as the relationship between the descriptiveness and revisability of metaphysics, the rationality of the transition to reality of linguistic theory, and the ways of explanation to identifying. Secondly, it unscrambles his thoughts as special foundationalism of transcendental-construction under the frame of epistemology. Thirdly, it does some thinking of his views on philosophy and methodology from the angle of topology.The creative work can be concluded as follows:Firstly, it is not limited in the direct analysis about identifying in Individual, but considers the identification theory as a whole which is integrated in Strawson's whole philosophy. It distills a question, that is,"the realization of identifying", and considers it as the basic question to govern his main philosophical thoughts. Secondly, it provides the analytical frame of this question, and makes an in-depth study from the aspects of the basis for the formation, ontology accordance, epistemology frame, methodology and the contribution to contemporary philosophy, so as to reveal the intrinsic development route of identification theory, clarify how the coin subjects are related to each other, and demonstrate his whole image of philosophy. Thirdly, through systematic comparative analyses of his thoughts' with Kant's and Quine's, it reveals the thought origins, characteristics and the peculiar significance of his theory in the comparative research. Fourthly, it makes some new generalizations and explanations as following:(1) It interprets the way of Strawson to understand the knowledge of objective experience as a strategy of internal defense of proper moderate transcendental arguments;(2) Based on the view of "universal conformation" about certainty of belief, it re-examines the value objective of his transcendental arguments;(3) By taking some viewpoints of the language" phenomenology, psychology and cognitive science as reference, it reveals the limitation of his theory in comparative research;(4) It unscrambles his thoughts as special foundationalism of transcendental-construction;(5) By analyzing the inner similarity between the characteristics of Strawson's philosophical view, and the basic thought of topology, it summarizes the inspiration of methodology from Strawson's philosophical studies with topologic style.