Convention was immediately recognized as a major contribution to the subject and its significance has remained undiminished since its first publication in 1969. Lewis analyzes social conventions as regularities in the resolution of recurring coordination problems-situations characterized by interdependent decision processes in which common interests are at stake. Conventions are contrasted with other kinds of regularity, and conventions governing systems of communication are given special attention.
Author(s): David Lewis
Edition: 1
Publisher: Blackwell Publishers
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 222
Title Page......Page 2
Copyright......Page 3
Contents......Page 5
Acknowledgements......Page 7
Foreword by W. V. Quine......Page 8
Introduction......Page 10
1. Sample Coordination Problems......Page 14
2. Analysis of Coordination Problems......Page 17
3. Solving Coordination Problems......Page 33
4. Convention......Page 45
5. Sample Conventions......Page 51
1. Common Knowledge......Page 61
2. Knowledge of Conventions......Page 69
3. Alternatives to Conventions......Page 77
4. Degrees of Convention......Page 85
5. Consequences of Conventions......Page 89
1. Agreement......Page 92
2. Social Contracts......Page 97
3. Norms......Page 106
4. Rules......Page 109
5. Conformative Behavior......Page 116
6. Imitation......Page 127
1. Sample Signals......Page 131
2. Analysis of Signaling......Page 139
3. Verbal Signaling......Page 150
4. Conventional Meaning of Signals......Page 152
5. Meaning(nn) of Signals......Page 161
1. Possible Languages......Page 169
2. Grammars......Page 174
3. Semantics in a Possible Language......Page 182
4. Conventions of Truthfulness......Page 186
5. Semantics in a Population......Page 204
Conclusion......Page 212
C......Page 218
I......Page 219
P......Page 220
S......Page 221
Z......Page 222
