Abstracts Philosophy, Religion, and Theology

Meaning and necessity : a study in the philosophy of C.I. Lewis

by Graham W. Kerrison

To many students of philosophy, especially within the predominantly British tradition as we know it in Australia, Clarence Irving Lewis remains something of a mystery. His writings are conspicuously absent from the prescribed reading lists in Australian universities. Despite this remoteness, however, his name has always carried with it a respect which is customarily reserved for those who have been significantly influential in their own domain, It was this seeming paradox between Lewis's stature and his remoteness that first attracted me as much out of curiosity as anything else. This curiosity was further aroused by the obvious contrast between Australia and North America where interest in Lewis's work is so much greater, There was yet another factor which caught my interest. It was obvious that Lewis ranked among the more important philosophers of this century. There were signs of his influence in so many areas of philosophical discussion. Yet it puzzled me that in this age of prolific publications there was not a single volume devoted to the study of Lewis’s work...