•  24
    Studies in epistemology (edited book)
    with Peter A. French and Theodore Edward Uehling
    University of Minnesota Press. 1980.
    This is Volume V in the series Midwest Studies in Philosophy In 1979 the University of Minnesota Press assumed publication of the annual Midwest Studies in ...
  •  52
    Frege‐Russell Semantics?
    Dialectica 44 (1‐2): 113-135. 1990.
    Contemporary semantical discussions make mention of the traditional approach to semantics represented by Frege and/or Russell--even sometimes by Frege-Russell. Is there a Frege-Russell view in the philosophy of language? How much of a common semantical perspective did Frege and Russell share? The matter bears exploration. I begin with Frege and Russell on propositions.
  •  38
    Doctrine
    Faith and Philosophy 14 (4): 423-443. 1997.
    I argue that theological doctrine, the output of philosophical theology, is not a natural tool for thinking about biblical/rabbinic Judaism. Fundamental to my argument is the claim that there is a tension between constellations of theological doctrine of medieval vintage and the primary religious literature---the Hebrew Bible as understood through, and supplemented by, the Rabbis of the Talmud. This tension is a product of the genesis of philosophical theology, the application of Greek philosoph…Read more
  •  8
    Philosophical Naturalism
    with Peter A. French and Theodore Edward Uehling
    . 1994.
    In recent years naturalism has become a focal point in the discussions of many contemporary philosophers. Philosophical Naturalism in the series Midwest Studies in Philosophy offers a broad sampling of previously unpublished essays that represent the current status of discussions of naturalism.
  •  2
    Against theology
    In Charles Harry Manekin & Robert Eisen (eds.), Philosophers and the Jewish Bible, University Press of Maryland. 2008.
    project. Their voices, though, have been dimmed by current theological orthodoxy--I don’t mean denominational Orthodoxy but rather the standard modes of theological thought bequeathed by the medievals. Developments in philosophy—like the work of Wittgenstein—suggest that the time may be ripe for another pass through the terrain.
  •  25
    The Significance of Religious Experience
    Modern Schoolman 86 (3-4): 381-398. 2009.
    This book is collection of published and unpublished essays on the philosophy of religion by Howard Wettstein
  •  13
    Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Figurative Language (edited book)
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2001.
    Analytic philosophy was born from philosophic reflection on logic and mathematics. It has been at its strongest in these and related domains of reflection, domains that are friendly to definition and analytic clarity. From time to time, analytic philosophers, some very distinguished, have produced fine work on literature and the arts. But these areas remain underexplored in the analytic tradition. This volume is focused upon language that does not fit within the usual analytic paradigms. It's hi…Read more
  •  108
    Awe and the Religious Life: A Naturalistic Perspective
    Midwest Studies in Philosophy 21 (1): 257-280. 1997.
  • Wittgenstein speaks of the fog that surrounds the workings of language. Our ways of thinking about reference contribute generously to the fog. While a full discussion would constitute a book-length project, my aims here are quite limited. I want to have a look at the idea that reference is a relation between a piece of language and a piece of reality. The idea might seem unexceptional and unexceptionable; names, for example, name things, and “relation” seems just right. But there is casual relat…Read more
  •  5
    The philosophy of language has emerged in the 20th century as a fundamental area of philosophic inquiry. It is unquestionably central to research in many other areas, and some have even suggested that it should now be seen as the foundation of philosophy.
  •  9
  •  18
    Has Semantics Rested on a Mistake?
    Journal of Philosophy 83 (4): 185-209. 1986.
  •  59
    Forgiveness and Moral Reckoning
    Philosophia 38 (3): 445-455. 2010.
    Charles Griswold’s seminal work, Forgiveness, is the focus of the present essay. Following Griswold, I distinguish the relevant virtue of character from something that is more like an act or process. The paper discusses a number of hesitations I have about Griswold’s analysis, at the level both of detail and of underlying conception
  • Philosophy of the Emotions
    Philosophical Quarterly 50 (198): 137-139. 2000.
  •  7
    Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Meaning in the Arts (edited book)
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2003.
    This Volume illuminates the notion of meaning in the arts-in literature, painting, music, and dance. Specific topics include theory in the arts; interpretations of meaning; objectivity in meaning; and the consumer as a participant in art. Brings together articles from prominent philosophers and practitioners of the arts, which illuminate the notion of meaning in the arts. Addresses meaning in literature, painting, music, and dance. Explores the relationship between authorial intentions and the v…Read more
  •  7
    A Father of the Revolution
    Noûs 33 (s13): 443-457. 1999.
  •  101
    The late 20th century saw great movement in the philosophy of language, often critical of the fathers of the subject-Gottlieb Frege and Bertrand Russell-but sometimes supportive of (or even defensive about) the work of the fathers. Howard Wettstein's sympathies lie with the critics. But he says that they have often misconceived their critical project, treating it in ways that are technically focused and that miss the deeper implications of their revolutionary challenge. Wettstein argues that Wit…Read more
  •  20
    Midwest Studies in Philosophy. Vol. 16, Philosophy and the Arts
    with Peter A. French and Theodore E. Uehling
    Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 51 (3): 519-521. 1993.
  •  1
    The Foundations of Analytic Philosophy (review)
    with Peter A. French and Theodore Edward Uehling
    Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press. 1981.
  • This collection of essays focuses on a current issue of central important in contemporary philosophy, the relationship between philosophy and empirical studies. Explores in detail a range of examples which demonstrate how the older paradigm – philosophy as conceptual analysis – is giving way to a more varied set of models of philosophical work Each of the featured papers is a previously unpublished contribution by a major scholar
  •  504
    Themes From Kaplan (edited book)
    Oxford University Press. 1989.
    This anthology of essays on the work of David Kaplan, a leading contemporary philosopher of language, sprang from a conference, "Themes from Kaplan," organized by the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University.
  •  3
    Studies in Ethical Theory
    with Peter A. French and Theodore Edward Uehling
    . 1980.
  • • When one reflects on the range of actual cases in which forgiveness seems appropriate, it’s really a subset of them that involve moral wrongdoing. When one thinks of the domestic context, e.g., where forgiveness, apology, and the like are very common, painfully common, much of what is at issue are not serious moral wrongs but rather slights, insensitivities like inappropriate tones of voice (sometimes even marginally so). Or consider philosopher’s reactions to the slights involved in how their…Read more
  •  7
    Diasporas and Exiles: Varieties of Jewish Identity (edited book)
    University of California Press. 2002.
    Diaspora, considered as a context for insights into Jewish identity, brings together a lively, interdisciplinary group of scholars in this innovative volume. Readers needn't expect, however, to find easy agreement on what those insights are. The concept "diaspora" itself has proved controversial; _galut, _the traditional Hebrew expression for the Jews' perennial condition, is better translated as "exile." The very distinction between diaspora and exile, although difficult to analyze, is importan…Read more
  •  9
    Philosophy of Emotions
    University of Notre Dame Press. 1998.
    Although generally philosophers have put a high valuation on reason, increasingly the role of emotions in motivating action is being recognized. The essays in this volume explore the emotions from a variety of perspectives, ranging from Aristotelian views of the passions to the new findings of cognitive science, and from such diverse starting points as medieval literature and psychological studies.
  •  6
    Against Theodicy
    The Proceedings of the Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy 4 115-125. 1999.
    The problem of theodicy is a philosophical classic. I argue that not only are the classical answers suspect, but that the question itself is problematic. In its classical form, the problem presupposes a conception of divinity—call it “perfect-being theology”—that does not go without saying. Even so, there is a significant gap between what the Western religions tell us about the reign of justice and what we seem to find in the world. I argue that approaches to evil need to maintain focus on this …Read more
  •  50
    The Significance of Religious Experience
    Oxford University Press USA. 2012.
    In this volume of essays, Howard Wettstein explores the foundations of religious commitment. His orientation is broadly naturalistic, but not in the mode of reductionism or eliminativism. This collection explores questions of broad religious interest, but does so through a focus on the author's religious tradition, Judaism. Among the issues explored are the nature and role of awe, ritual, doctrine, religious experience; the distinction between belief and faith; problems of evil and suffering wit…Read more
  •  40
    Proper names and propositional opacity
    Midwest Studies in Philosophy 2 (1): 187-190. 1977.