Naming and Necessity - 50th Anniversary Edition

Since first appearing in 1972, Saul Kripke's Naming and Necessity has shaped and continues to shape debates in metaphysics, the philosophy of language, and adjacent areas. It overturned long-established views concerning the relationships between names and descriptions and a priority and necessity, and catalyzed today's thriving essentialist metaphysics. This landmark work is here reissued for its 50th anniversary with a new preface by the author revisiting its central themes. If there is such a thing as essential reading in analytic philosophy, this is it.